Thirteen Reasons Why
by runaway xo
Summary: Edward proves his love to Bella by showing her thirteen reasons why he loves her. Takes place after Eclipse. Major Fluff. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Prove It

Disclaimer: I dont own Twilight nor the **real** book Thriteen Reasons in which I borrowed its title

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"Bella," a soft voice whispered.

"Mhmm?" I mumbled back incoherently.

The voice answered, closer now, "It's time to wake up." I could feel the cool breath tickle my neck, like a feather it fluttered across my warm skin, sending a shiver down my body.

I couldn't help smile, but I didn't want to open my eyes yet, I was saving the best for last. "I'm still sleeping," I said back, burying my head farther into his stone chest, my fingers idly playing with the collar of his shirt.

He chuckled, even closer then before. I could feel his icy lips graze my forehead. "Would you be so kind as to open your eyes?"

"Why?" I mumbled back, still hiding my head in his chest as my face reddened and my heart raced, all due to his simple touch.

"I'd like to see my _fiancée's_eyes when I tell her that I love her."

My eyes flew open and my breath caught in my throat. I meet his topaz eyes, and tried to focus on them which was hard when the room was spinning.

"Bella what's wrong?" He didn't sound very concerned, in fact he looked as if he was trying to stifle a laugh. Amusement obvious in his eyes.

"Fiancée?" I choked out.

He nodded, a little more serious now, gazing over me features trying to figure out my expression.

"You mean it wasn't a dream?" I whispered mostly to myself, dropping my eyes, trying to remember the scene that had played in my head. Edward and I in the meadow, and then driving back to Charlie's house. The look on Charlie's face when we told him we were …

"Oh my god," I breathed, "We're…"

"Getting married," he finished warily, leaning closer, his eyes boring into mine, helplessly trying to read my thoughts. And with that he reached for my left had and watched my eyes as I took in the ring that rested on my third finger.

"Oh," I respired, placing my other hand on the side of my head, desperately wishing the room would stop spinning.

Edward knew me too well and quickly undid the first three buttons of his shirt and lowered me down to rest my forehead against his soothingly icy chest.

After a few deep breaths and my lips all too eagerly replacing my forehead, he bent down to kiss my hair. "Better?" He chuckled.

"I think so," I replied between kisses to his perfect chest.

"I must say, you did do better then Charlie," he said with a twinge of sadness in his voice.

"Charlie," I gasped, the whole scene fluttering back to me. Charlie forcefully taking me into the other room, away from Edward. Though I knew Edward would hear everything he said just the same. "What if he leaves you again Bella," Charlie had bellowed, making me flinch. "He left you once and was able to pick up all the pieces, but what about next time Bells? Huh? What if next time the pieces are too small?" Charlie had been on the verge of screaming at me and I had felt blistering tears form in my eye.

"You're wrong Dad." I had tried to sound strong, but my voice cracked, making me sound vulnerable and weak. "Edward's not going to leave me."

"Did you think he was going to leave the first time?" Charlie challenged.

That's when I began to cry, my broken sobs had erupted in my chest suddenly like someone had sent off a bomb. Then, remembering Edward could hear all of this, probably holding himself down against the urge to comfort me, had made me cry harder.

"Bella," Charlie had sighed frustrated. "I didn't mean to make you cry. Can we just talk about this first," his voice had become barley above a whisper at the end, pleading with me.

"There's nothing to talk about," I said back, barley containing the sobs. "I love Edward."

Suddenly Charlie, the name Edward, and the word love, all together in one room made me feel intensely claustrophobic. Though it must have been obvious that I loved Edward, even to someone as stubborn as Charlie, I had now realized that I never said it openly like that to him. Standing there I felt clear, like Charlie could see right through me. I didn't get to look at Charlie's face, to try and find the happiness and love, or at least acceptance that I was looking for. And it was a horrible feeling, the feeling of standing there with nothing to hide behind. I didn't get to analyze his expression, because I ran back to the kitchen where Edward was sitting. Sure enough his hand were clenched against the table, surely making dents and his eyes were squeezed tight. I didn't speak as I jumped onto his lap and collapsed against him, my body heaving with fresh sobs, feeling weak and guilty for putting Edward through this kind of torture.

I felt his hand smoothing down the back of my hair. I could fell the extra control it took to be gentle with me when his body had just been doused with anger. I couldn't remember anything after that. I guess that's the point where I fell asleep.

"I'm sorry, Edward," I gasped loudly, pulling back from my vision like state to throw my arms around his neck, " I'm so sorry."

He laughed and made soothing circles on my back, "don't apologize, Bella. It's not your fault."

I could hear it in his voice, he was blaming himself again. "Stop," I hissed pulling away.

"What?"

"Stop, blaming yourself!"

"But Bella, if I didn't leave you, Charlie would have never –"

"I said stop," I interrupted him, his face pained. This whole blaming himself all the time thing was getting old.

"Lets get some things straight," I told him sternly, my own forehead wrinkling as I thought hard. "I love you, and for some bizarre reason you love me to."

His face hardened, but he didn't say anything. I must say, he was getting better at this stay on my good side thing.

"You made a deal with me, that you would change me, only if I married you first. Correct?"

He nodded.

"I said yes, and then when we told my dad he flipped out. Have I lost you yet?"

He smiled crookedly, shaking his head back and forth, his beautiful bronze hair falling in front of his eyes.

"I wake up in the morning to find you here, despite all of the horrible things Charlie most likely threatened you with."

Edward smiled bleakly and shrugged.

"So far I see nothing that you should be blamed for," I pointed out, surely a smug look on my face.

He glowered at me. I giggled and knelt down on the bed so that I could rest my forehead against his. "I love you. Don't you love me?"

He rolled his eyes.

I waited, "Well is that a yes or no?" I was teasing him.

"Isabella Marie Swan, I love you more then anyone in this entire universe loves another person."

I frowned at that. "You mean … besides me of course."

I watched his expression carefully as it became puzzled. "Excuse me?"

"Well,_ I_ love you more then anyone in this entire universe loves another person. And we _both _can't share the same title," I smirked.

He chuckled, kissed my nose, and then whispered in my ear, "So I guess I win." He was about to scoop me off the bed when I stopped him.

"Oh no you don't." I held a firm grip to my comforter. "You really don't think you love me more then I love you. Do you?"

He chuckled and scooped me up against my will anyway, but he didn't answer.

"Well?" I pressed.

"Let me get this straight," he prodded, "You think you love me more then I love you?"

I giggled but otherwise nodded. I don't think he knew if I was being serious or not. Was I being serious? I didn't even know, but the mixture of amusement and frustration on his face was priceless.

"Well you're wrong." He flashed a grin as we both remembered the last time this conversation had taken place. At the lunch table, junior year, all the while my heart had been beating so fast it must have bruised the inside of my chest. "And this time," he continued, "I'll prove it to you."

"Prove it to me?" I repeated, eyeing his face suspiciously. What was he getting at?

"Yes I'm going to prove it too you, with thirteen reasons."

"Thirteen reasons why…"

"Thirteen reasons why I love you of course."


	2. Reason One

Edward carried me downstairs. I had half expected Charlie to be waiting at the bottom of the stairs with a loaded gun. Though, having to explain to Charlie exactly _why _a gun shot hadn't killed Edward, might have been easier then telling him I was getting married.

Edward placed me on a chair and in an implausibly fast second, a bowl on cereal was waiting in front of me.

"Thank you," I smiled.

"Anytime," he grinned, pulling the other chair right next to mine.

"So when are you going to tell me these thirteen reasons?" I asked smiling, he was really taking this joke too far. Did he really think he needed to _prove _his love to me?

"You find out the first one today," he whispered, his lips were parted as the ran the length of my jawbone.

"You're only going to tell me one?"

He smiled against my skin, "Yes, I'm only going to tell you one today."

"Why?" I pouted. I watched his face and realized that it seemed to thrill him that I suddenly seemed so eager to hear these reasons. I slowly choked down my excitement, embarrassed by my keenness.

"Bella, there are only eighty-four thousand six-hundred seconds in day. Even if I spoke in vampire speed I wouldn't be able to explain all the reasons why I love you."

I blushed furiously and fought with my lips as they threatened to turn into a loopy light headed grin. "You said there were only thirteen reasons."

He chuckled, his lips still making tender trails of kisses down the length of my neck. "I'm only going to _tell _you thirteen," he smiled.

I tried to think clearly but his lips continued to explore the length of my collar bone, and eventually I forgot my name.

"Bella," he whispered. Ah yes, Bella, that was it.

"Mhmm?"

He smiled, "Eat."

I obediently picked up my spoon and stirred it lazily in the cereal, but I couldn't bring myself to eat it because he was so close that I could almost taste his scent in the air.

"It's hard to eat when you're doing that," I informed him finally.

He grinned against the hollow of my ear and pulled away. "I'll behave," he smiled.

He watched me as I ate. Never failing to puzzle me with the strange fascination he had over watching me eat.

When I was done he carried my bowl to the sink and rinsed it as I took my human moment. I made the water in the shower almost unbearably hot as I took deep breaths. The next few days enveloping around in my mind, the thoughts alone threatening to make me scream. I had to make Charlie understand, and make Renee understand, and just hope that the rest of Forks would understand. It was sure going to be a lot of work, making other people understand, when I barley understood myself. Of course I understood that I loved Edward and would unite myself to him in every way possible in a heartbeat, what I didn't understand was how I could be so stubborn in the beginning and then suddenly become putty in his stone hands. I personally blamed his smoldering ocher eyes, his velvet voice, his gentle touch, and his overall appearance of a Greek god.

I shut the water off in the shower and proceeded in towel drying my hair. When I was done with that, I reached for my clothes. Reaching for my clothes would have probably been successful if say, there _were _clothes. I had been in such a haze that I forgot to bring clothes into the bathroom with me. I sighed and wrapped the towel around me. I could either run for it, or call for help, and naturally I turned down anything that had to do with running. "Edward?" I was standing with the door cracked open about three inches, my body on the other side as my head stuck out.

"Yes?"

I gasped at his sudden appearance, and then gasped again when the first gasp made me drop my towel. Though I was on the other side of the door and he couldn't see anything anyway, I slammed the door in his face and secured my towel once more. With crimson blush and a heart going a mile a minuet, I reopened the door. He was still standing there, but this time his eyes were shut tight and his fingers were pinching the bridge of his nose. "Edward?" I whispered. He was so still that I felt like on word would shatter his concentration, though I should know by now that nothing shattered Edward. "Edward?" I tried again, "What are you doing?"

"Self control, Bella," he said calmly, still pinching the bridge of his nose.

My brow knit together. Why did he need self control now? I thought my blood was getting easier to be around.

"My blood? Why now?"

He smiled, his hand dropped from his nose. "Bella, your blood isn't the only part of you that I want, nor the part I want most." He opened his eyes quickly to measure my expression, which I'm sure was as red faced as ever. His eyes were suddenly coal black and they smoldered, knocking the breath out of me as he looked at me with such passion, I could feel my hands going limp against the door knob. Just as fast as he opened them he closed them and pulled something out from behind his back. "Here, Bella." He handed me a folded pile of clothes.

"How did you know – "

"I figured that would be the only reason you called me up here when you're in a towel behind a door, unless you purposely punish me," he flashed a crooked smile and was gone in an eye blink.

My flustered heart tried to maintain a steady rhythm by taking deep breaths, though once I remembered he could probably hear my pounding heart all the way downstairs, I had to restart the calming process. It was amazing how he could still make my heart feel this way, make _me _feel this way. He still had the same effect from the first time I met him.

Once I was decent, I walked carefully down the stairs and into Edward's arms.

"So, where to first?"

He smiled and relaxed his intertwined arms on my lower back. "Your choice. I just request that we go somewhere later tonight of my choice."

I raised my eyebrow, "And that's where you're going to tell me the first reason?"

"Exactly."

My entire day was wasted on the anticipation that was eating away at me. I tried to concentrate as I roamed through the books at a bookstore, and tried not to fall when we walked through the meadow, but I couldn't help wonder what he was going to do. I knew that since it was Edward it would probably be romantic, but also expensive, and that wasn't the part I was too keen about. He had done a good job so far with the hand-me-down ring and _not_ kidnapping my vehicle, but I wasn't so sure how long that would last.

The time had finally come when I was in Edward's silver Volvo and we were racing down the highway. I hadn't been home all day, mostly because I was terrified of facing Charlie. I was tired of hurting my dad, but he had to realize that marrying Edward was my choice, not his.

"Are we almost there?" I was squirming in my seat, mostly because it had become very uncomfortable being blind.

Edward laughed, "Almost. Just don't peek."

"I won't. Scouts honor, " I muttered back. I couldn't believe he talked me into wearing a blind fold. Then again who was I kidding? I was beginning to realize that he could talk me into anything. As I thought about that, the wedding ring seemed to way down my finger, my left hand anchored down, limp in my lap.

"How am I going to tell Renee?" I mumbled to myself suddenly. I couldn't see Edwards reaction but I knew he was planning to answer because the car slowed down slightly. When he took to long to answer I began jumping to conclusions. "Alice saw it didn't she Edward? That's why your not telling me. You know its going to go horribly. She's going to hate me, disinherit me—"

"Calm down, Bella, she's not going to disinherit you," he laughed.

I sighed and waited for him to continue.

"Alice didn't see anything, so please don't stress over this, at least not tonight. Let me do something special for you. Please? Charlie and Renee will learn to accept things, it just takes time."

"I know, I'm sorry," I sighed. "I promised myself I wouldn't worry about it today but we all know my mind has some kind of disorder," I muttered.

I suddenly felt a cool breath roll like a tumble weed down across my skin, "I think you have a beautiful mind."

"Edward keep your eyes on the road," I told him as sternly as I could conjure through the intoxicating haze of his breath.

He smiled against the indentation of my collar bone, "I'm not on the road."

I frowned and quickly untied the blindfold. What I saw puzzled me. I looked out every window twice before I turned to face Edward. "You took me to an abandoned parking lot?"

He grinned, obviously finding enjoyment out of my bewildered expression. "Why? Is that a problem?"

"No," I said quickly trying not to hurt his feelings, confused at why he looked so happy. "No, it's fine, I like parking lots."

He laughed out loud, throwing his head back in amusement as I glowered at my fidgeting hands, trying to control the blush that was rising on my cheeks.

He finally cupped my chin in one of his hands forcing me to look at his butterscotch eyes. "Don't be embarrassed. I'm sorry, Bella, will you please forgive me?" I couldn't get past the humor that still lingered in his eyes.

"Fine," I muttered, the blush still warm, radiating from my cheeks, so I knew he could tell even in the dark car.

"Are you ready for our date?"

Our date was in a parking lot? I didn't understand, but I wasn't going to risk saying something stupid again so I just nodded.

In a fleeting moment Edward was opening my door, one hand was reached out for mine, the other behind his back. I took his hand without question as he led me to the front of the car. It was then that I realized there was a red and white checkered picnic blanket on the hood of his car.

"Wha—"

"Shhh," he smiled pressing a finger against my lips.

I was abruptly in his arms and we were on the blanket. I stared at him as he pulled the picnic basket out from behind his back and grinned.

"A picnic?" I asked.

"Do you mind?"

"Of course not," I tried to smile reassuringly but he didn't buy it.

"What's wrong, Bella?"

"Nothing, I love picnics."

"Bella," he warned.

I sighed, see what I told you. He could make me do or say _anything. _"Back in Phoenix, every year we had a school picnic," I said hastily, hoping the if I said it fast maybe the blush would go away faster, "As we both know I'm not exactly the most … coordinated." His lips pressed hard together, I could see it was torture for him as he tried hard not to laugh. "So one year I went and I tripped and fell face first into the macaroni salad." He couldn't hold it in any longer and laughed, his laugh was even velvety and it soared through the empty parking lot like music. "Are you happy now?" I hissed frustrated, I don't know how many times I had begged Renee to keep the story to herself, and here I was, telling Edward.

"I'm sorry Bella, I had no idea that your past included disastrous picnics, I would have taken you to an expensive restaurant, had I known."

"No!" I bellowed.

He smiled angelically. "So you will join me in this picnic? I promise I didn't bring any macaroni salad."

I rolled my eyes and he took that as I yes. He quickly unpacked a picnic basket, placing in front of me a sandwich, a container of fruit, apple juice and a slice of pie.

I laughed. "Who made this?"

"Me." He smiled sheepishly, as if he had just revealed a deep secret.

"You made it?"

"Well don't seem so surprised," he muttered looking hurt.

"Oh, no Edward I didn't mean it like that, I – "

He laughed, "Relax Bella, I know what you meant , it's alright, just eat."

I picked up my sandwich and looked at him quickly through my lashes to see if I had been truly forgiven. Obviously I had because he smiled, encouraging me to continue. I smiled back and took a bite of the sandwich.

In a matter of ten minutes I had finished everything. For a vampire with no sense of taste or smell towards human foods, he was an amazing cook. Then again, why was I surprised? He was good at everything.

"Thank you Edward," I smiled when I was done, resuming to take my spot cuddled against his side. We were laid out on the hood of his car and the warm June air was wrapping around us like a blanket. I set myself on my back and gazed at the stars. I followed them with my eyes as if I was playing connect the dots.

When the silence began to numb in my ears I rolled over onto my side, urning to hear his velvet voice. "So where's my reason?" I smiled. "I know you don't love me because I fall face first into macaroni."

He smiled, "Well on that account you're wrong. Your clumsiness is on the lists of reasons why I love you, though, that's not the one I was trying to portray tonight."

"Oh? And why is it so important you portray this particular reason tonight?"

I caught him glance up at the sky quickly and then pulled me off the hood of the car and in a blur we were in the middle of the parking lot. He put me down and took a few steps back, separating us.

"Edward what are you doing?"

He didn't answer he just smiled. And that's when the water began to drip from the sky. First coming down in scattered drops and then turning into a sheet of water in front of my eyes, almost as if I was stupidly on the wrong side of a water fall. I could vaguely see Edward through the torrent, his grin still on his beautiful face. And then his beautiful face was inches from mine. His head hovering above me, blocking the rain from my eyes.

"Reason number one why I love you," he murmured, "Somehow, you find a way to look even more beautiful in the rain." I could feel his finger tracing a line down my spine where my thin cotton shirt clung to my now shivering body. And then his lips were against mine, and the rain podding down on us, had felt like bricks, but suddenly I felt like I was on a cloud, and nothing existed except Edward's lips moving against my own.

**So how are you liking this story so far:) I've been trying to make my chapters longer if you've noticed, though I'm not sure how long that will last. Don't expect me to update as much as i did for my last story, mainly because school is getting seriously hectic, state exams and all that fun stuff, so I'll try as hard as I can to continue this (only if you guys want me to though!) Well I'll only know if you review! Thanks :)**


	3. Reason Two

I stood cuddled against Edward's chest for the longest time, the pouring rain was disconcerting when I was in my own personal heaven. I could hear Edward humming something that sounded like my lullaby, but I couldn't be sure, my eardrums were mute to everything besides the pulsating rain and my own heartbeat.

"Ready to go?" he spoke against my wet cheek, his words vibrating against my skin.

"No," I smiled, pulling him closer.

His soft laughter trembled trough his chest, "Okay," he whispered. I closed my eyes and I could feel his lips as they made there way affectionately across my wet neck. I smiled and tilted my head back, allowing the feverish rain to strike my face. The feeling on the icy rain and Edward's cold lips against my warm skin was astonishingly refreshing. Maybe Edward would get his way after all and never have to change me, I sure wouldn't have a problem if we stayed like this for the rest of eternity.

I could feel his lips as they got lower, just skimming the top of my t-shirt, and then he tricked me as they veered back up towards my left ear, "We really should go Bella, lets not push Charlie farther then we already have."

I sighed knowing he was right. He ladled me gently into his arms kissed me once more—turning me into mush in his arms—and then pouring what was left of me into the passenger seat of his car.

By the time he closed my door he was already sitting in the drivers seat, putting the key into the ignition. It was now that I could take in his full appearance. Even in the dark car I could clearly see where his black button up shirt had clung neatly to his perfectly sculpted chest. The sleeves were rolled up and I could evidently see the raindrops that embraced themselves to his muscular forearms. I could almost feel my eyes gloss over as I ogled him, the perfect creature next to me.

By the time I forced myself to at least make at attempt to look into his eyes, I realized he was staring at me too. His eyes, also looked glassy and his mouth was slightly parted as if in awe, it was a very UN-Edward expression.

"What?" I giggled nervously.

He blinked rapidly, and meet my eyes quickly. "Excuse me?" he asked innocently.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen were you … staring?" I fought down hard with the laughter that bubbled in my stomach.

"Who me?" he squeaked. Edward squeaking? Something was definitely wrong. Why did he look so nervous?

I looked down quickly, and found the problem almost immediately. "Edward!" I screeched flinging my arms around myself.

"I'm sorry Bella, I thought you knew," he told me, his eyes begging for forgiveness.

I probably resembled an ice-cream sundae about now. Seeing as though my face was red like a cherry and my shirt was white like whip cream. This situation would probably be pretty normal if the whip cream wasn't currently see through.

As I tried to calm my embarrassment down to a level where I was capable of speech, Edward handed me a blanket from the backseat.

"Thanks," I mumbled wrapping it around my shoulders. I wonder if he had a brown paper bag to hide my face.

We were silent the rest of the way home, a few times I could see his hand raise a fraction of inch of the steering wheel, as if he was hesitating whether to reach for my hand or not. Each time he thought better of it and waited for my embarrassment to fade out.

When we finally reached the house I took his hand in mine, but remained silent.

"Are you mad at me, Bella?" he whispered. His voice was so soft it almost sounded like I hadn't been intended to hear it, like he was talking to himself. I wonder if he thought he should be afraid to hear the answer.

I giggled, and then my giggle turned into a fit of laughter.

"Bella why are you laughing?"

"Edward you're my _fiancée _and your apologizing because you happened to see me in a wet shirt!"

I laughed and watched as his grimace slowly faded into an wicked grin. My ending laughs began to come out as nervous chuckles, "Edward, why are you looking at me like that?"

Something that sounded like a seductive growl vibrated in his chest and he was crouched on the seat, as if he was getting ready to pounce. "Uhm, Edward?"

"You said it," he said in a husky voice, that ridiculous grin still plastered across his face.

"I'm sorry?"

"You said it," he repeated, "You said _fiancée__." _And with that he pounced on me, leaving no time for me to catch my breath as his lips landed on mine.

His actions confused me. Where had the boundaries gone? The strict rules? Then again, I sure wasn't complaining. I hesitantly traced my finger down the perfect proportions of his chest. Nearing his stomach I curved my finger up and went back up to outline the perfect muscles of his strong shoulders. He hadn't stopped me yet, though I knew that my next move would be his cue to pull away, I carefully dragged my palm up the side of his face and let my fingers gently knot into his rain drenched bronze hair. More surprisingly, he didn't stop me.

Eventually it was me who had to pull away when I was sure my lungs would rupture. Even then, he continued to kiss the corner of my mouth and down and around all the way to my shoulder.

"What? No," I paused to take a gasping breath, "boundaries now?"

I could feel his lips expand into a smile across the skin of my shoulder – the blanket still wrapped around my chest. "Well you said it yourself. I am in fact your fiancée, and that's awfully different then being just your vampire boyfriend."

"How so?"

"Well, given the title of your fiancée, it illustrates the fact that I truly, will one day, become your husband."

I rolled my eyes, "We always knew it would happen eventually."

He smiled, "And now it has. And since you've agreed to pledge yourself to me, I think I can remove a few boundaries in return."

I laughed, "Aren't you getting rewarded on both sides of this deal."

He grinned as he picked up my wrist, skimming it with his nose he breathed in deeply. "Absolutely."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck. "I love you."

He grinned, excitement suddenly overflowing in his golden irises. "Are you ready for the second reason why I love you?"

"I thought you were only going to tell me one today."

"Ah," he smiled, "But the 'today' you are referring to is now yesterday."

I stared at him puzzled for few moments and then substituted my gaze onto the clock in his dashboard.

"1 a.m. !" I screeched, "Oh my god Edward, Charlie's going to kill me," I groaned.

"Relax Bella, I left Charlie a note saying that you were going shopping with Alice and would probably be home late."

I let out a colossal sigh. The last thing I needed from Charlie right now was 'the talk' again. I cringed just thinking about our last 'talk.'

Something dawned on me just then, "Then why did you say we needed to leave the parking lot because Charlie would be worried?"

"Don't you want to see your second reason?"

"My second reason is at my house?"

He ignored my question, his eyes sparkling. "Close your eyes."

I could feel his movements, fast and lithe as I assumed he carried me through the window of my second story room because the pelting rain seized.

My eyes were still shut tight when an overpowering floral smell hit my nose.

"Edward –"

"Open your eyes."

My eye lids peeled away, left in there place was my room, well I least I think it was my room, I couldn't really tell what was under all the red roses.

"Oh," I gasped, my heartbeat quickening as I took in every rose scattered across my floor, and across my bed, and over my dresser and my desk. The soft petals looked like velvet all around me. I didn't know what to say, my throat wasn't allowing words to leave my mouth. Then, I saw something different, a rose that didn't quiet match all the rest. On my pillow was a rose just as pretty as all of the other ones but it's petals were white.

I looked around puzzled before turning back to Edward. "Why is there only one white one?"

He smiled crookedly and gently picked up the flower.

"Bella, when I first meet you – being the ghastly creature that I am – I could only notice your blood, and how much receiving it would satisfy my thirst. Though when I began talking to you, that first day in biology when I finally introduced myself, I discovered something out about you. You weren't just another human, a human with all to tempting blood sent out to ruin my existence. You were so unlike all the rest, and it fascinated me to no end, not being able to read your thoughts, all the completely unpredictable things that you did, and the bizarre things you chose to be comfortable with. This all led me to believe that you were the most single most unique and beautiful creature in the entire world. And I soon found myself – a bloodthirsty vampire – falling in love with human." The entire time he spoke I noticed something different about his eyes, they weren't only smoldering, they seemed to be on fire.

"That's why I laid this white rose in a sea of red ones. To represent you, Bella. The red ones are just all humans to me, with average blood that naturally smells pleasant to my kind. And this is you Bella," he placed the flower in my hand, curling my fingers around the stem, "The one rose that let all the red seep away, leaving me with it's pure beauty."

By the end of his little speech I was crying, no sobs were ripping loudly from my chest, and there was a smile on my face, just silent tears that trickled down my flushed cheek. He gently and slowly kissed away each tear before bringing his face centimeters away from my own. "Reason number two why I love you. You're unique, lovable, and beautiful, more so then any other creature I have ever met."

As I choked on my words he pulled me onto his lap on my bed. As the silent, happy tears continued to fall, his lips made tender trails across my cheek, catching each and every one.

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**I'm not going to say anything to ruin the moment, so just please review :) Thank you! **


	4. Familiar Faces

**IMPORTANT A/N :** **This chapter does not have one of the thirteen reasons. It was suppose to but let's just say I got a little carried away and eventually had about 9 pages on Microsoft. The next chapter will have two reasons, so I understand if you want to wait until the next chapter to review, I just wanted to get this on here quickly :) **

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Why did I pick tonight to have a nightmare? All of the wonderful and romantic and completely idealistic things Edward does for me, and I have a nightmare. My brain needs some serious rewiring. 

My dream started out pretty normally. It was Edward and I in the meadow, my fingertips outlining the perfect lines of his face. His skin sparkled like broken glass, spinning rainbows right before my eyes. Like I said, this was a very normal dream. Suddenly the scene changed, and I was looking down, my vision covered by a white void. "Edward?" I called nervously. No answer. I tried to straighten my suddenly stiff neck. "Edward?" I yelled, frantic now. I strained my neck upwards, my head felt like it weighed one hundred pounds. As I glanced up I suddenly saw a path of white petals at my feet, a red rug beneath them. That's when I realized the white I had been seeing was not a white void, but a white dress, my wedding dress to be exact.

I looked up in complete confusion, only to met the same topaz eyes that had appeared to be on fire, only moments ago. Without any logical explanation why, even when half of me knew I was dreaming, I began to walk forward. Edward's eyes boar into mine and I could feel my entire self melting away as if I was a stick of butter over I fire. My body thawed over completely when he smiled my favorite crooked smile. "Edward," I sighed in a breathy voice, picking up speed as I got closer. He smiled wider at my expression and beckoned me closer. Even in my dream I could feel my heartbeat race and my skin traverse with goose bumps.

That's when the nightmare arrived. I gasped when my heel got caught in the fabric of my dress, my body plummeting for the ground, it was too quick for me to think rationally and hold out my hands for the impact. But there was no impact. My fall stopped abruptly and I could feel cold hands around my waist, their iciness was obvious even through the fabric of my dress. "Thanks," I breathed, suddenly pleased that I seemed to be incapable of blushing in my dreams. My eyes glanced up, my heart preparing itself for when I met his face.

My heart would have probably needed more preparation considering the face I _did _met, the one I thought I'd never seen again, the one that the thought of him, made me unintentionally stroke the scar on my hand. My eyes were most defiantly filled with foreboding as they met the ruby red eyes of the hunter, of James.

There was a scream building in my throat, I was sure of it, but even my breathing became painful as my chest heaved up and down. Were dreams supposed to be this agonizing? When my voice finally did reach my mouth, I spit out the words in a breathless rush. "Edward! Help!" I screamed, my own voice flooding my dream, making everything else soundless. "Edward, please," I sobbed, "Please! Please help me please!" I couldn't stop begging, and my dream began to become blurry from tears.

Even through the blur I could make out James, his face coming closer and closer, a wicked grin plastered on his face. "No," I screamed defeated, his teeth glistening, coming nearer.

"Bella!"

"Leave me alone!" I sobbed, I could feel James cold breath on my neck.

"Bella, sweetheart, it's okay, its just a dream, I'm here."

That definitely wasn't James' voice. I knew that voice _better _then the back of my own hand. But I couldn't see him anywhere, my arms flailed out, trying to find him. I sobbed, "Edward help me, it's James."

"Bella, I'm right here," I felt his strong iron arms bind my tense body into his chest. The nightmare began to fade away, leaving me with a frantic heart, the sound of my breathing and Edward's voice at a low murmur. "It's okay Bella, it was just a dream, I'm right here," he whispered over and over again, my breathing slowing each time he repeated it.

We both listened as my breathing finally came into a steady rhythm.

"Are you okay, love?" He mumbled, his face pressed into my hair.

I took a deep breath, attempting to steady my voice, "It was just a dream." I repeated his earlier words.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

I shook my head no. If I explained it to Edward he would twist it all up so that it seemed that my self conscious was telling me not to marry him, and that was just ridiculous. Now if Renee or Charlie had been the one standing in the aisle, the dream would had made perfect sense, but why James? James was dead. The Cullen's killed him after he tricked me and I ended up in the hospital suffering from a vampire attack.

"You can sleep for another hour if you'd like."

"What time is it?" I grumbled.

"Nine."

I pulled the blanket up and tucked in under my chin, snuggling closer to him. "What are we doing today?"

He chuckled, "It's a surprise."

I raised my eyebrow and tilted my head so I could met his eyes, "Good surprise or a bad surprise."

He looked at me warily measuring my expression. "Would you like me to lie?"

I groaned and flipped over so that I was facing the door. I could hear him laugh as he wrapped his arms around me again and pulled my back against his chest, bringing his mouth to my ear. "You just have to get through today, and then tonight, you get my third reason."

I smiled, remembrance striking me as my eyes roamed over the roses, some still laid scattered across my floor, most of them were neatly placed in various vases that overflowed my dresser. I picked up his hand that was around my waist and kissed it gently. "Thank you for the roses."

"Your welcome."

I continued to kiss his hand and then absentmindedly began playing with his fingers.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked me, the tiniest hint of frustration in his voice.

I smiled, biting my lip, but my back was towards him so he couldn't see it. I was purposely not answering him, my insides bursting to laugh as I could almost hear his teeth clench.

"Bella?"

"Mhmm?"

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing." I bit down on my lip so hard, quickly releasing the pressure assuming that biting till it bleed was not in my best interest.

"Bella," he groaned.

"What?" I giggled.

"You're being cruel."

"Not sharing my thoughts with you is cruel?"

"The cruelest."

I laughed out loud and twisted my neck to see him pouting. That just set me off more and evenly I was shaking with laughter.

"What's so funny?" he grinned, tickling my sides.

"Edward," I screeched.

"Your laughing, I want to know what's funny."

"You're tickling me," I cried, tears forming in the corner of my eyes, my stomach aching from the laughter.

He chuckled, suddenly quiet and pulling away, "Charlie's debating whether to come up here or not."

"Charlie," I gasped, I had completely forgotten that I had a father downstairs.

"Don't worry," Edward smiled, "He's decided that he really rather not know."

I hushed a giggle and wrapped my own arms around his shoulders, "We should have told him we were engaged a long time ago."

He grinned, his eyes sparking. I knew I just told him exactly what he wanted to hear. His lips found mine instantly, though it was not harsh or hard, extremely gentle actually, our lips barley touching.

"I love you," he whispered against my lips.

I parted my lips, letting his sweet breath spiral around my mouth. Then I nodded my head and pressed my lips harder to his.

By the time I was showered and dressed it was ten oclock and Edward had left, just so he could return to pick me up in five minuets. I ran down stairs, maybe if I flowed in and out of the kitchen like a clumsy tornado, Charlie would be too flustered to make me feel guilty for any decisions in my life.

I purposely tripped off the bottom step stumbling into the kitchen and past an exhausted looking Charlie. "Morning Dad," I said as nicely as I could muster as I skidded to a stop in front of the refrigerator and pulled out the orange juice. I poured it half way into a glass and chugged it down.

"Bella, don't you want some breakfast? " Charlie asked, his voice sounded like it was far away.

"No thanks Dad, I'm late." I rinsed the glass quickly and ran to the hallway to get my jacket.

"Bells where are you going?"

"The Cullen's house, be back later."

I turned back to glance at him quickly, regretting it instantly. His eyebrows were knit together and his eyes looked lost and worried in his face. "Now wait one second, Bella."

I clamped my mouth shut, repressing a very powerful groan. "Yes Dad?"

"I've been thinking Bella, and I've come to the conclusion that – "

I looked down at my watch that wasn't really there and interrupted Charlie's lecture. "Sorry Dad, tell me later, I'm _really _late. Bye," I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek quickly, running out the door at the exact time that Edward's Volvo pulled into the driveway. In my mad dash towards the passenger seat, I completely forgot to take my clumsiness into account. I ended up with my hands embraced against the tinted window, my feet a few steps back. "I'm okay," I shouted, hoping Edward would stay in the car. No need to make a scene for Charlie who was now staring back at me through the open door, a slightly bewildered expression on his face. With blush deep in my cheeks, I hastily flung open the door and jumped in the Volvo, my heart pounding.

"Drive," I commanded.

Edward chuckled, "Yes maim." And smoothly glided out of the driveway.

I took deep breathes trying to calm myself. I could feel my hair sticking up in all the wrong places so I opened the sun visor to look into the mirror.

"Gah," I gasped, my hand flying to my chest. In the reflection I could see Alice right next to me, her cheek inches from my own, a sinful smile on her pale face.

"Hello, Bella," she greeted.

"Alice," I scolded.

He pixie laugh mixed with Edward's velvet one as I'm sure they could hear the out of place beats of my heart. "You scared me," I frowned.

"I'm sorry, Bella," she laughed, "But I'm so excited for today I'd thought it'd be fun to get your heart racing. "

I was quiet for a moment, soaking in her words. "What are we doing today?" I glanced out of the corner of my eye to Edward, he responded by running his fingers through his hair once and then gazing out the opposite window.

"Shopping for the wedding," she squealed. "Bella you have to pick a place to register at, and help me with decorations, and invitations … "

The list went on forever, eventually I tuned her out by singing a song in my head.

"Bella, are you listening to me?"

"Huh – wh – oh yeah, Alice, I'm listening."

She glared at me.

"Oh come on Alice, why'd you have to drag me here?" I indicated to the big building that was now looming on our horizon.

"Because you're the _bride, _Bella. Brides usually help with the wedding."

I mumbled incoherently to myself, and Edward took my hand and stroked it gently. He was still getting blamed for this, he could have talked Alice out of it! I made the mistake of glancing at him. His ocher eyes were apologetic and they glistened like gold. Why was I mad at him again?

The whole time we were walking around the god-forsaken mall, Edward kept lifting my hand to kiss my wedding ring. I'm pretty sure he could feel the restlessness rolling off of me like bad perfume and thought that if he reminded me of the stunning little ring every five minuets we would get out of this mall without me throwing a hissy fit. He was such a cheater.

"Alice, no," I squeaked in horror, backing away from her quickly.

"Oh come on, Bella," she said with a wicked grin on her face.

I shook my head viciously. "No, absolutely not," I hissed.

"We all know you want to Bella," she taunted.

I continued to walk backwards until my back smacked into a wall, my chest deflated as I lost my breath.

"Are you okay, love?" I glanced behind me, it wasn't a wall I had walked into, it was Edward, and he was desperately trying to stifle a chuckle as my face turned six different shades of red. I couldn't believe Alice was doing this to me, especially with Edward here. Was she trying save money on blush for the wedding because I was sure my cheeks were permanently stained. She was not getting her way this time, no way in hell was she getting her way. I glanced back at the manikins in the front window of the Victoria Secret store and confirmed my resolution.

"I'm hungry," I thought quickly, knowing that Edward would be on my side for this one, "Let's go to the food court." I began to walk to my left when Alice grabbed my elbow.

"Bella," she smiled angelically, "You ate an hour ago."

"I—I'm thirsty," I stuttered.

Alice glared at me, but then her expression softened back into that fake innocent smile, "I'll get you in there sooner or later, trust me." She tapped a long white finger to her temple.

I glared back and her and continued to storm away, muttering profanities under my breath.

I heard her and Edward share a laugh before they tagged along behind me. Edward's arm was quickly around my waist, his cold breath near my ear. "I'm sorry she embarrassed you, would you like me to tell her that she is no longer in charge of our wedding."

Alice, obviously being able to hear him, opened her mouth in horror, then quickly softening her expression, her eyes getting a glossy look to them. After a few moments she turned back to us and smiled, clearly happy with whichever future she just saw.

I rolled my eyes at her and Edward laughed.

With no reason or cause, I began to fall, my hands flew out for the impact but it was unnecessary, Edward's arms were quickly around my waist and placing me back on my feet.

"Bella," he sighed.

"Sorry," I blushed.

"At the wedding will you please be careful when you go down the aisle, I don't want to have to explain to your family how I was at the alter one second, and then catching your fall the next." He smiled sheepishly.

I glared at him, "I'll see what I can do."

I pulled away from his embrace and began to walk to the restroom.

"Bella," he called nervously, quickly pulling me back to his chest.

"I'm just going to the restroom Edward, and no, you can't come with me." I raised my eyebrow daring him to argue.

"No," he hesitated, "But Alice can."

Alice was inspecting the inside of her shopping bag and looked up at the sound of her name.

"Alice, you don't have to babysit me," I told her and then turned back to Edward, "I promise not to fall into a toilet," I rolled my eyes. "You just have to trust me, okay?"

He put my face between his hands, a crooked smile on his unbelievably handsome face, "I'm just scared to death of loosing you, is that so horrible?"

"You can't be scared to death, you're already dead," I laughed.

He smiled and shrugged, allowing that.

"Ill be right back," I promised, kissing his lips gently, "You won't even have time to miss me."

He rolled his eyes, "Obviously you don't know me at all."

I laughed and walked away, pushing open the door to the restroom.

I was just walking towards a stall when I noticed two all too familiar people, washing their hands at the sink. I froze like a deer in headlights, unable to move. I was holding my breath as if that would make me invisible.

Jessica noticed me first.

" Oh my god, Bella," she gasped, her hand flying up to her open mouth. Her words made Lauren spin around in surprise, her wet hands sending water droplets crashing to the floor.

"Bella," Lauren said, her voice in clear shock and surprise.

"Um, hey," I said, it barley came out above a whisper, the color of my skin reddening with their obvious surprise. I watched as the both scanned over my body like metal detectors. I noticed with a tinge of regret that both sets of eyes seemed to land on my left hand. I tried to nonchalantly hide it behind my back, but I think they noticed. They're eyes snapped back to mine.

"So it's true?" Jessica said lazily, looking down at her nails as if it barley interested her.

"Excuse me?" I asked politely. Was I really trying to play dumb?

"We heard you're getting married. And," she walked up to me and snatched the hidden hand behind my back, "I guess this is evidence."

I didn't like how she was looking at my ring, examining it like she was expecting it to be plastic.

I pulled my hand away, "Where did you hear that?" I wish I had better control over my voice, it was shaking as if I was on a jack hammer now.

"Robert's cousin Megan, told Robert that her friend Cara, told her that she saw you and Edward at the bookstore yesterday with a ring on your finger. Robert told Eric, and Eric told Mike, and Mike told me."

My head was spinning by the time she was done talking. This was exactly what I wanted to avoid. Surely if Jessica knew, the whole town of Forks was gossiping about it by now.

"Well, is it true?" She asked exasperated when I didn't answer immediately.

What was the point of lying now? I was, in fact, wearing the ring so denying it would be pointless. I eventually just sighed. "Yeah, it's true."

"Oh, I always knew this would happen." I snapped my head up to look at her, my ears ringing from her voice that suddenly sounded smug. "Of course you two would end up making the biggest mistake of your life and then get forced into marriage. It was like destiny."

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Biggest mistake of my life? Forced into marriage? Destiny? What was she talking about

I stared at her with a staggered expression for a few moments. "Jessica what are you talking about?"

"What I'm talking about is that I knew what type of girl you were, Bella, since the first day you moved here. The type of girl that gets pregnant and married right out of high school. Destroying your entire life."

"Pregnant?!" I screeched unable to hold it in.

Jessica looked at me strangely, glancing at Lauren who rolled her eyes. "Isn't that why you're getting married Bella? Because you're pregnant," Lauren finally spoke, looking incredibly annoyed.

"No! I mean yes, I'm getting married but I'm not pregnant!" I could feel my face boil with warm blood. They though I was pregnant? Is this what the rest of Forks assumed? That just because I was getting married young I was being forced into the relationship? My chest was suddenly filled with fresh pain. What if Charlie heard this little rumor? Would he believe it? Another more "girly" self conscious thought came to me suddenly. If they thought I was pregnant, did that mean they thought I was fat?

I couldn't take it anymore, the bathroom was suddenly ten times smaller and oxygen was clearing not a choice. I ran forward, past Jessica and Lauren, out the door.

I stumbled around, expecting to land in Edward's arms any minuet, but I didn't feel anything. I looked up through my blurred vision. This wasn't where I was before I went into the restroom. The stores were all different. I didn't recognize any of them. Was this the same mall? Where was Alice? Where was Edward? Where was I?

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**A/N : I'm babysitting tonight so I'm planning to get a good portion of the next chapter typed. Thank you to those who choose to review this chapter though it has little fluff and romance like my others :) I assure you that if that's what you like, you'll enjoy the next chapter. Thanks everyone! **


	5. Reason Three

**A/N: Gosh, this chapter took forever. It's pretty hard to concentrate on writing a good story the same week your little brother has decided to take up the obeo. The noises on those things go through my earplugs, which I am currently wearing :) Anyway, I know I promised you all two reasons but once again I got carried away. I know, i'm a horrible person. Well I hope you like it anyway. Dance competition this weekend (did I even ever tell you guys I dance?) so not so sure when I'll have the next chapter up but keep checking back! Thanks & happy reading & hopefully happy reviews :)

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By the time my eyes were dry enough for vision, and my legs were stable enough to walk, I began trudging down the long, partly deserted hallway. Partly deserted, due to the fact that a gangly man was sitting against one wall. I tried not to stare though there wasn't much else to look at. All of the stores were boarded up, their damaged signs the only indication to what was and what had been.

The man against the wall had an eerie vibe to him, with his long disheveled salt and pepper beard, wrinkly russet skin, and narrowed eyes that I couldn't be sure were open or not. His mouth was set into a deep scowl and he was slumped against the ancient looking brick wall. Above his head to the right was a sign that read "Amy's Clothing," in swooping script writing, and to his left was one that read "Kitchen Galore" in thick block letters. Both were battered and withered.

I looked back at the door I had just come out of, now that I was thinking clearly I realized the restroom must have had two exits. I could just go back in and out the other way, but there was no way I was walking past Jessica and Lauren again. I pressed my ear to the door, maybe they had left and I could slip through without worrying. I heard nothing.

What if they had run into Alice and Edward when they left the restroom. Would they say something to Edward? My mind felt like a seesaw, tipping back and forth between what to do. There was a door at the end of the hallway. Maybe that would lead me outside and I could find my way back to where Edward and Alice were. Knowing me though, I would get lost. I finally saw no other option.

With an exasperated sigh, I pushed my body against the thick door. It wouldn't budge. I tried again… nothing. If my mind had been a seesaw before, now it was a roller coaster. Eventually I was ramming my entire body against it, without a doubt bruising myself. A light bulb seemed to click on in my brain when I remembered the other door. I ran past the slumped over man – who didn't even seem to notice me – and threw my body against the door. My heart plummeted as it didn't open. It wouldn't even budge.

Giving up, I pressed my forehead to the cool metal of the door. Feeling utterly ridiculous as my mind tried to fool me into thinking it was Edwards chest, and not a dirty, mental barrier to the outside world.

Okay, maybe I was being a little melodramatic. Of course Edward would realize what happened eventually, or Alice would have a vision and they would come safe my weak butt. A metal door may make _me _feel like an animal locked in a cage, but to Edward or Alice it would be like ripping apart a pillow made of feathers.

I went back to the middle of the hallway, slumping against the wall opposite the old man. This way, whichever door Edward came out of, I would have an equal distance to reach him.

As I waited, I absentmindedly twisted my ring around my finger, flaring out my hand like I've seen women do when they show off their engagement rings. But I felt too young to flare out my hand. To young to squeal over the phone with my mother about the minor details – in fact, as far as I knew, my mother didn't even know yet. To young to be happy.

But that feeling was wrong, tremendously wrong. Of course I was happy. I felt like the happiest and luckiest girl in the entire world when Edward's hand held mine, and when his lips touched mine. All those things just … fit. Like our hands were meant to hold on tight to one another's, like puzzle pieces that mended together just right. The truth was that we weren't too young. The truth was that the _world _thought we were too young.

So far, everyone outside of the Cullen family had made me feel ashamed. Like the ring symbolized love to me, but to them It just screamed words like young, stupid, and juvenile.

I was pulled out of my little banter by a low wheezing like cough. I looked up startled at the old man. He hadn't made his presence known until now. His eyes were still in narrow slits but I defiantly knew he was looking at me.

He let out another suffocated noise before he spoke in a raspy voice, "Are you Isabella Swan?"

My mouth gaped open as I stared at him. Now I knew I was dreaming. No way would an old man, slumped against the wall of an inescapable hallway, know my name.

"How do you know my name?"

He smiled tightly with his thin withered lips. "Ah," he sighed, his small eyes were like black marbles as they scanned over me. I hugged my knees to my chest.

"Who are you?" My voice was shaky.

He didn't answer. I squeezed my eyes shut tight. Now this all made sense, it was just a dream, a nightmare.

"They call me Wapi." His voice sounded far away, like he was in a tunnel instead of a hallway.

"And why do they call you Wapi?" I asked, sarcasm dripping in my voice. I wonder if this whole day was a dream. I wished I would wake up soon.

"Wapi, means lucky."

Lucky? This guy was sitting in an abandoned hall of a mall. One of which had no escape.

I realized he hadn't answered my question from before. "How do you know who I am?"

He laughed, but didn't answer me.

I clenched my teeth. I began to think beyond the dream theory. Maybe this was real and I was on candid camera. I looked around for the camera. Nothing.

When the man realized I wasn't going to push it anymore he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. When the walls began to close in on me I got onto my knees and lowered my head.

Where _were _they!? It's been about and hour. I thought vampires had super speed. What was taking them so long? If it wasn't for the fact that they were indestructible I would be severely worried.

I thought my heart was going to burst when I heard the first sounds on the other side of the door. It was only a split second later when I was pulled into a cold embrace. I hadn't even seen him come towards me. He silently picked me up and pulled me as close to his body as possible without hurting me. My legs were tangled around his waist and my arms around his neck.

He didn't pull away to kiss my lips, he just fiercely kissed my neck, like he was afraid to move me away in the slightest.

"Reason number three why I love you," he sighed, taking an unnecessarily deep breath, I froze realizing his breathing was unsteady, "You are undoubtedly the only creature in the universe capable of giving me a heart attack."

"I'm sorry," I muttered. He held me tighter, my lungs struggled to get a good breath, but I didn't care.

"Alice couldn't see you, Bella." Edward murmured against my neck. His lips greedily kissing every inch of my skin that he could reach.

"Why not?" I demanded. I reluctantly pulled away from Edward, suddenly remember the strange man that had been slumped against the wall. He was gone. I looked around in confusion.

"Bella? What are looking for?"

"There was a man here," I muttered, still looking around the deserted hallway. Only seeing Edward and Alice, I turned back to Edward.

Now that I could see his face I gently kissed both of his cold cheeks before pulling myself closer to kiss his lips. After a long moment he pulled away allowing me to breath, a crooked smile on his face. It quickly slipped into a frown. "What man, Bella?"

"Um – I don't know some old man…" I trailed off, just wanting to kiss him again.

He chuckled and placed a palm over my lips. I looked back to his eyes in confusion. "Bella, about an hour ago your future vanished. I'd like to know what happened here."

"Nothing happened. I walked out of the wrong door of the bathroom …" I could feel my face flush at the end, as I kept reminding myself not to let anything slip about Jessica and Lauren. I knew he noticed and was undoubtedly going to question me later. "So then there was this old man slumped against a wall. He knew my name which was kind of weird …"

I stopped talking when I saw Edward's eyes widen, and then narrow.

"No, no, he didn't hurt me or anything, he was pretty nice. His name was Wapi, I think." My talking was slurred as I my eyes flew back onto his lips. Why did I have suddenly have such a strong urge to kiss him?

"What did the man look like?" Edward used his finger to tilt my head back so that my gaze returned to his eyes.

"He had a long gray beard, reddish skin, wrinkles, black eyes …"

I stopped again when that look returned to Edward's eyes.

"What?" I asked concerned. He looked like he just saw a ghost.

"Bella," he said warily, "do his characteristics remind you of something?"

I furrowed my brow in concentration. What was he talking about. Just because the old man had russet skin and … oh

"He was a werewolf!?" I screeched.

"Well that would explain why Alice couldn't see you," he grimaced, "and the smell." He wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"If you couldn't see me then how did you find me?" I turned to look at Alice.

She smiled, "Well after you didn't come out of the bathroom, Edward basically tore the whole mall down on a rampage to find you."

I blushed and glanced at Edward who smiled sheepishly. He placed me on my feet but I clung to his chest with my arms. "I'm sorry I'm so troublesome."

"It's not your fault, Bella. I should have thought about the possibility of the two doors. I wasn't thinking clearly when Jessica and Lauren's discourteous thoughts decided to bombard me." He tilted my chin up to check my expression, but I kept my eyes down. He sighed, "I was thinking even less clearly when Alice explained to me that your future had just vanished."

I frowned and remained in his arms a little while longer.

"You gave me my reason."

"Mmm?" He sounded like I had pulled him from another thought.

"You said I was getting my third reason tonight, but you just told me."

He smiled, "No. You still get your reason tonight. I was saving this one for later but I figured now would be the most appropriate time."

I sighed, "I'm sorry," I whispered again.

He rounded his palms to fit along my jawbone as he smoothed the skin of my cheeks with his thumbs. "Silly Bella," he said in a whispered chuckle, "Didn't you hear me? I _did _say it was one of the reasons why I love you."

I frowned, "That's not a very good reason."

"Oh yes it is. Bella, I don't think you comprehend what you do with me. Not only when your giving me a heart attack, but your touch, and your beauty … " he trailed off, staring profoundly into my eyes, "you give me feelings that I'm not suppose to have. I can almost feel the goose bumps, the adrenaline, the blush…"

He stroked my cheek that suddenly felt like fire under his icy hand. We were quiet for a long time. I just stared at his topaz eyes, memorizing every speck gold they held.

"Sorry to break up the moment," Alice chirped suddenly, "But Edward needs to get Bella to certain place at a certain time," she indicated urgency in her tone.

Edward nodded, though not breaking our intense gaze. "Do you have all of the bags Alice?" he murmured.

She must have answer through her thoughts because I didn't hear another word when Edward kissed me softly, my body was so close to his that I began to arch my back slightly, pulling closer, though that's when he pulled away.

He chuckled, amused. "Let's go, Bella."

I didn't answer him, though he laughed at the scowl on my face.

When we got back to the Cullen's house, I hadn't realized how late it had gotten. I looked at the clock in Edward's dashboard. It read eleven o'clock.

"Edward, my curfew was an hour ago!" I cried, looking around nervously, as if I could find Charlie's face pressed against the glass.

"Relax Bella, Esme called Carlisle to request that you spent the night with Alice," Edward grinned. I knew fair well I wouldnve, world's" / 't be spending the night with _Alice. _She had already escaped the car.

I frowned, puzzled. "And Charlie agreed?"

"Bella, have you talked to Charlie lately?"

I thought back to this morning, and then looked ashamed out the tinted window of the Volvo that was now parked in the Cullen's Driveway. "Um – well he tried to talk to me this morning, but I thought he was just trying to talk me out of marrying you so I kind of made a mad dash for your car in order to avoid him." I blushed.

Edward chuckled and I could feel his hand grasp my left one, and started to twist the ring. "Give Charlie a chance to explain himself Bella. He means well, he's just stubborn."

"Yeah, stubborn," I muttered.

"Kind of reminds me of someone…" I turned my head to look at Edward, a grin hugely spread across his face.

I grimaced. "I wouldn't be taking mister 'marry me or else.'"

He laughed out loud, his chest trembled beneath his form fitting blue t-shirt.

"What, may I ask is this, 'or else'? Living?" I watched as a quick look of pain flashed across his face, though it was quickly composed into the look of teasing me.

"Nope. The 'or else' would be death," I told him matter-of-factly.

He sighed. "Bella, must we discuss this now?"

"You brought it up."

"Mister marry me or else?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, I did say that," I admitted, "But you brought up the whole living thing."

"We'll have more time to discuss your … living situations," he replied carefully. "As for now, you are going up to my room, putting this on, and then meeting me back here." He grinned mischievously. I glared at him, what was he doing? I looked at the shopping bag he had placed in my hand. I didn't remember buying this, though Alice had thrown everything on the check out counter so fast – knowing that everything would fit perfectly – that I probably didn't remember half of the stuff she bought.

I carefully opened the bag, laying it on my lap and ripping off the tissue paper. I gasped. "No," I screeched. "I am _not _wearing that." I began to shake my head violently. He obviously didn't know me at all if he thought I was wearing that.

He gently stopped my shaking head with his palm against my cheek. "Please Bella." He breathed into my face and it felt like all my brain cells went numb, I was in heaven, but the bad part was, he was doing it on purpose.

"No." I was quickly losing my force. I looked down, desperately trying to escape the influence of his eyes, his smile, his breath. My eyes only met the thing that laid on my lap. "Edward, I am not wearing a _bikini_," I spit that word out like a curse.

"And why not?"

"Look at it!" I cried. He tore his gaze away at my face to look at my lap.

He looked back a me quickly, probably already having seen it in one of Alice's visions. "Bella, if you don't put it on, you'll probably regret it."

"Why?" I asked hesitantly, suddenly frightened.

"If I told you, it wouldnt be a surprise," he grinned.

I groaned. After one last look at the Edward and back to the tiny stringy thing, I grabbed it roughly and threw open the car door. Muttering profanities under my breath I slammed the door of his precious Volvo and stomped away. Stupid convincing, gorgeous, utterly perfect vampires. Will I never learn!?


	6. Reason Four

**A/N: Hey everybody!I'd like everybody to know that my team did great at the dance competiton. Can you say three golds and one high-gold! Yay us! And when I heard one of the other teams do a routine to a song called Twilight I basically thought my obsession had gotten the best of me :) And, of course, I thought of you guys, which is why this chapter is finally finshed! Well, I hope you guys enjoy this one! Happy reading & happy reviews please :) **

The bikini was gorgeous of course, and it fit perfectly. The entire thing was a deep sapphire blue that matched the approaching midnight sky. It was a halter top that tied in the back, and it was all pretty simple, so I think Alice is starting to come to terms with my plainness.

When I was done putting it on, I quickly put my clothes back over it and continued my rage down the stairs. I passed Emmett on the way down and he looked at me strangely.

"Got out of the wrong side of the bed Bella?" He grinned. I glared at him.

"_Your brother _is taking me for a late night swim," I replied icily.

Emmett laughed, his body shake the stairs and I clung to the railing until he was finished. "Well, have fun ," he smirked, it looked like he knew something I didn't.

I ignored it, groaned and continued my journey down the stairs. I don't know why Edward insisted that I wear a bikini. If he thought he was getting me into some body of water at twelve o'clock at night he had lost his mind. Just because my fiancée – I cringed slightly – was ice cold, it didn't mean I particularly a fan of cold water.

I opened the front door of the Cullen mansion and was on my way to the Volvo when suddenly my vision became black.

"What the –"

"Hello, Bella," a musical voice whispered close to my ear, his amusement palpable. He had covered my eyes with his hands so fast I had thought I had gone blind.

"Edward what are you –" I began to demand but he interrupted me.

"Shh," he soothed.

His voice made me lose my train of thought, though only for a second. I sighed, "What's going on?"

"Your reason, silly." He suddenly seemed more lighthearted and carefree. Who was I to ruin his happy-go-lucky feeling?

"This better be a good one," I teased, "So far I've looked like a drowned cat, a unique freak and have been diagnosed with the ability to frighten mythical creatures to death."

He laughed deeply, his chest was pressed against my back and I could feel the laughter shake through him. When he was finished he still didn't remove his hands from my eyes.

I heaved a sigh, "What, are you planning to blindfold me again?"

"Nope," I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Oh? Then what are you planning to do?"

"Well quite frankly Bella, last time I blindfolded you, I became relatively jealous of the ludicrous piece of cloth."

"You were jealous of –" I couldn't even bring myself to finish the sentence.

"I'm jealous of anything that gets to touch your beautiful face," he whispered. His fingers were still covering my eyes as his lips made gentle kisses down the side of my neck, so gentle that they felt like I was being tickled by the wings of butterfly, when in fact, it was actually the lips of an angel.

The blush was quickly dominating my cheeks so I tried to hide my embarrassment, "That's the forth reason why you love me? Because I can make you envy a rag?"

He chuckled, "I would never let a _rag _touch your face Bella, be reasonable."

I let out a soft snort and then continued to resemble a tomato.

"Regardless of my resentment," he murmured, smiling against my skin when I shivered, "that's not what I was planning to portray tonight."

"What are you planning to … portray?"

He laughed, "Shouldn't you know the answer to that already."

I took and deep breath and then let it out dramatically, "It's a surprise," I mimicked his velvet voice poorly and he chortled.

"Precisely."

I pouted my lips and quicker then I thought possible, Edward was in front of me, though I still couldn't see, he kissed me, my pout disappearing beneath his lips. He kissed me for longer then he usually allowed, and I could feel him remove one hand from my eyes – though still able to cover both of my eyes with the other – and his fingers began to crawl tenderly up the nape of my neck, knotting lightly in my hair.

Eventually, when I was absolutely positive my lungs were on the verge of disintegrating, I pulled away, gasping for air, in return he pulled his hand away from my eyes. When I was done choking, Edward pressed his forehead against mine, a smile on his pallid lips.

"I'm sorry love," he muttered. "I often forget how breakable you are."

"And I often forget how kissable you are," I giggled, reaching up on my tiptoes slightly.

He chuckled and returned his lips to mine, but only for a second before he pulled away. "Ready for your surprise?"

I shuddered at the word 'surprise' and Edward laughed. "Don't tell me you don't _like _my reasons, Bella." He raised his eyebrow, like he really was considering that a possibility.

"No, Edward, of course I love your reasons. I'm just…scared," I admitted with a sigh.

He furrowed his brow, confusion played in his eyes. "Scared?" It only took a minuet for the word to sink in when the confusion in his eyes was replaced by pain.

"No!" I cried placing my palm on his cheek. "I'm not scared of _you, _silly vampire," I laughed.

The pain slowly subsided from his expression, but left over was the previous confusion. His head tilted to the side as he waited for me to elaborate.

I sighed. "I'm just scared that one of your reasons will result in you buying me something. I mean you already bought well over ten dozen roses. How do I know that tomorrow you won't go out and buy me a new car full of roses?"

His eyes sparkled at the idea. "Don't even think about it," I warned.

He laughed. "Bella, there's no need to be scared."

"So, you're not going to spend money on any of the reasons?" I clarified.

He pressed his lips into a hard line for a few moments before speaking. "Sorry, I can't promise you that."

"Edward," I complained.

"We'll make a deal."

I looked at him guardedly. "What kind of deal?"

He smiled. "I get to spend all the money I want on you, and you get to kiss me whenever you want." I was mesmerized momentarily by his smoldering ocher irises.

I finally laughed, "Edward is that really such a big sacrifice for you?"

"Immensely," he teased, a grin spread wide across his face. He bent down to kiss me put I slipped the back of my hand between my lips and his.

He looked back to my eyes with puzzlement. I stifled at laugh at his expression. "You said _I_ was in charge of kissing from now on."

"Yes but –" I placed the same hand across Edward's mouth.

"You're not the only cheater Edward Cullen," I warned.

He ignored the fact that my hand was attempting to stop him from talking and began to kiss it softly. "Cheater?" He scoffed, meeting my eyes.

"Dazzling is a form of cheating."

"I guess I forgot to read the rule book."

We smiled at each other, my muscles refusing to relax from the ridiculous position my mouth was in. I couldn't stop myself from grinning stupidly.

"Surprise Bella," he whispered suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence.

What was he talking about? Out of instinct, I looked past his face, and then spun in a circle taking everything in. Edward and I were somehow on a hill overlooking a lake. I looked down on the glass lake and could see the reflection of the moon, ashen against the ebony water. The lake was large, and a little to the right of where we were standing, was an old wooden doc that extended passed the grassy shore. At the end of the little dock was a little row boat, it's oars prodding out made shadows opposite the milky moon.

In a split second, I was in front of the little boat, cradled in Edward's arms. Before I could utter a word he pressed his lips against mine. He pulled away a centimeter and whispered, almost mutely against my lips, "Far too desirable."

He pulled back even more and smiled crookedly. "Mrs. Soon-to-be-Cullen, would you honor me your presence on my midnight cruise?"

I giggled and glanced back down at the diminutive row boat. Mostly I had inverted my eyes so that he couldn't see the obvious sparkle they held when he addressed me as 'Mrs. Soon-to-be-Cullen.' He couldn't know how much I liked the sound of that, how _very _much I liked the sound of that.

Eventually I nodded, and his own eyes twinkled. He put me on my feet and gently laid the boat in the water. He came back and picked me up, carefully placing me on one of the two benches in the boat, and then flashing into the boat himself, sitting on the other bench. Facing me, he smiled, and without looking away from my face, picked up the oars and began to row.

Though rowing had the bare minimum of strength that Edward held, it was beautiful. I found my eyes roaming from his face to his sculpted arms. The rowing motion gave away the shape of his muscle as it flexed beneath his pallid skin. The muscles in his chest rippled from the motion and I had the strangest urge to run my fingers over it, memorizing ever bulge and flew ofthe muscle under his icy skin.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked me. I could hear the smile in his voice. It occurred to me that Edward was doing this on purpose. Of course he could have rowed to the middle of the lake in under five seconds flat, but he was moving at human speed to torture me with his beauty.

I blushed, the heat was fast approaching as it animated my cheeks. That just made him smile bigger. He knew that I was staring at him, or else he would have groaned and demanded to know what I was thinking.

"Sorry," I whispered.

He closed his eyes and softly shook his head, oddly, he was still beaming. When he opened his eyes, he motioned his head back, gesturing towards himself.

I gave him a questioning look, and he grinned, nodding his head.

I watched his eyes, warily, the entire time I creep towards him softly, unsure of how I was expected to walk across a moving boat when I couldn't even make it across flat land without tripping.

I eventually did, all two steps I took was quite an accomplishment. I immediately sat down on Edward's lap, not willing to risk falling into the water now.

I checked his eyes again carefully. He smiled and closed his eyes in response.

He was still rowing as I lightly ran my fingers over the length of his arm, from the crease in his elbow to his shoulder. From there I traced his collar bone, back and forth before outlining the muscles in his other arm. This time though, when I got to shoulder closest to me, I carefully scooped my arm under his and ran my fingertips down the length of his back. When I got to the small of his back, I turned back, up and down his muscular back. I should feel his shoulder blades rotate as he rowed, now excruciatingly slow. Excruciating because his boundaries were soon to come in anytime now.

I didn't feel like testing him, so I took my hands back and placed them on my lap.

"What's wrong?" I looked back up at Edward. He had opened his eyes and was staring at me puzzled.

"Nothing," I said a little too quickly. His puzzled expression didn't falter.

"Bella, tell me. Please?"

I sighed, I was a hopeless pushover. "I was just wondering…" I glanced at him quickly and he nodded, urging me to continue. I took a deep breath, wondering why I suddenly felt self conscious. "About that day in the meadow…" I paused again and he rolled his eyes.

"Bella," he sighed resting his forehead against my own. "You can tell me anything. You should know that by now."

I nodded and continued from where I left off. "You said that we could do it my way, you said that your way never works. And you said you were willing to try, right then and there." He was now looking at me warily.

"I was just wondering…" I paused, holding in a giggle when I heard him gulp. "If that means we could knock down a few of these boundaries that you have established."

Edward relaxed almost immediately. What gave him the idea that I was about to seduce him on a row boat in the middle of a lake was beyond me.

"Bella," he sighed in relief. "Have you not noticed that that plan has already been put into action?"

He kissed the top of my ear, and then put down the oars to wrap his stone arms around me. Through the mush he had just made my brain into, I could recall the way he held me when he found me in the abandoned hallway of the mall, when he kissed me before, and _I _had to pull away, and when he said I was in charge of the kissing.

I frowned. I should have noticed his change in approach, and gave him credit for it. I couldn't even fathom how hard it was for him, to have such an urge to kill me, and another urge fighting it, his love for me. It was a true rendition of an angel and devil perched on his shoulders. Luckily for both of us, the angel was clearly winning.

"Thank you," I whispered, leaning my head into his chest.

"Thank _you_," he smiled back.

After a long, comfortable silence, Edward finally spoke. "Ready to go swimming," he grinned.

"I am _not _going swimming," I told him sternly. He lowered his head to check my expression. The deathly gleam in my eye seemed to make him realize there was no dazzling his way out of this one.

"Alright," he amended. "_I'll _go swimming, and _you _can just dangle your feet in the water."

"Deal," I said quickly, finding this a pretty good compromise.

"But you still need to take off your top layer of clothes, Alice would try to kill you – not that I would let her – if you got those wet."

Okay, bad compromise. "I promise to not get them wet," I begged.

"Not my rules sweetheart," he smiled. I had a feeling that they were though.

I sighed and got off his lap to stand at the other side of boat. We stared at each other for a moment.

"Well, turn around," I commanded biting my lip.

He laughed, but eventually swiveled on the little bench to give me privacy. I took a deep breath and began to unbutton my shirt with shaking fingers. I got the first one undone pretty well, but the second was a challenge. I must have spent half a minuet trying to undo the same button, the entire time my hand shook like I was in the middle of an earthquake. Why in the world was I so nervous. I could feel my face redden as the seconds ticked by.

Finally I sighed. "I can't do it," I mumbled defeated. Edward turned back around and in a second he had both of my shaking hands in his. He kissed each one as it trembled in his grip.

"Close your eyes," he whispered. I gulped and followed his order. He began to hum my lullaby, instantly calming me. Though, I could soon feel his cold fingers undoing the buttons of my shirt, one by one, and I feel my nerves awaken again. "Breath, Bella." I took a deep gulp of air and let it out slowly. By the time I was done with my breathing exercises his hands had pulled away from me. I looked down, and there I was, sitting in the middle of a row boat in my bikini, feeling more exposed then I ever had in my life.

Not even risking a glance at Edward, I dropped my head into my hands, drowning in remorse as my cheeks flamed against my palms.

After a moment of sinking quickly into embarrassment, I felt a cool finger tip lift up my chin. I recoiled from looking at his eyes, but soon found myself with no choice. I looked at them quickly, ready to look away if he was humored in anyway, but found myself staring into the depths of golden passion.

"Reason number four why I love you," I could scarcely hear his words as my hearing – and every otherfunction of my body for that matter – was obscured by his avid stare. "Your sweet blush," he murmured. Reaching forward to skim my burning cheek with his fingertip. "Your beautiful, wonder, warm blush." He hesitated, furrowing his brow, as if he was worried if he was explaining it right, or maybe he was afraid his next line would upset me. "It's one of things I will miss most when you are no longer human."

We both let that soak in for a minute, the creamy moon sent a dull sparkle against Edward's skin and I was soon mesmerized, and I didn't want him thinking of things he would miss about me when I was changed.

"Edward, I do believe I was put in charge of kissing."

He grinned and nodded.

"Alright, then I hereby order you to kiss me now," I told him sternly, angling my head upwards.

I didn't need to tell Edward twice. Before I could even take a deep breath, I could feel his lips press into mine. The mixture of the warm and cold was something I would never get used to. I felt his hand knot in the back of my hair, quicker and with more force this time. Then I could feel it as his finger unknotted in my hair and traced slowly down my neck, following my bare spine all the way down to my lower back. Eventually he moved from my lips to my tepid cheeks. The entire time I fought down the shivers that erupted in my body like fireworks.

After a while he pulled away, resting his forehead against mine, as we both breathed hard, though his breathing was unnecessary. We waited, our breath mingling in the air, waiting for the other one to speak. But we didn't have anything to say, there was nothing to say.

Suddenly, faster then I could comprehend, Edward was standing up in the little boat, and I was in his arms.

I looked him over quickly, trying to find some kind of danger. What I found was him in swim trunks – deep sapphire, matching my bikini – and a huge grin on his face. He was standing dangerously close to the edge of the boat.

I put on a hard mask, "You wouldn't dare."

He grinned wider, "Watch me."

And with that, he clutched me even tighter to his chest, jumped off the boat, plummeting us both into the smooth black water.


	7. Reason Five

**Shorter chapter then usual, I apologize. Hope you enjoy it anyway! **

* * *

The water pierced threw me like a spear, and I was underwater in a cage made of ice. I could feel the iron bars of Edward's arm loosen, almost immediately as we descended further into the ebony water. I opened my eyes, searching for him, but the water was pure raven.

I could feel my lungs burning and gave up, making my way to the surface of the rippling water. I broke threw and took a few gasping breathes before shouting, "Edward Anthony Masen Cullen!" He was going to pay for getting me in this arctic pool.

He popped up from the water, inches from my face. I was shocked when water came shooting out of his mouth, and into my face. I gasped, and blinked away the water. When I regained my vision, he was still just as close, "Yes love?" he asked innocently.

"You, Edward Cullen," I grinned wickedly. "Are about to suffer a long, _painful_ death."

He leaned even closer, his eyes sparkling matching his grin. "Been there, done that."

Beaming, he sped off, a blur across the water, splashing me on his way. I stared after him, my mouth was struggling between a gape and a grin.

I watched ahead as he dove down into the lake. I sighed and flopped over, floating on my back. The June air was much warmer than the lake and I closed my eyes, the sensation of the water evaporating right from my skin was exhilarating.

Laying there, I began to think about Edward's most resent reason. My blush. Something I would no longer possess when I was a vampire. Would there be more reasons like that? If my blush was one of the reasons why Edward loved me, would he love me less when I couldn't blush crimson anymore? And the reason before that, I would no longer be the only human who could give him a heart attack because I wouldn't be human. And the reason with the roses. I couldn't be a unique human anymore. Or even the first reason, I wouldn't even smell the same anymore.

By the end of my realizations I found myself hyperventilating. He wasn't going to love me anymore when I was a vampire. I wasn't going to be that special human who he beat all the odds for. I'll just be another vampire, like all the others he turned down.

I almost jumped out of my skin when I opened my eyes to find Edward next to me, his face inches from mine.

"Did I frighten you?" His eyes were absolutely sparkling. He seemed so blissfully happy, I forgot what I was upset about just a minute ago. Maybe I wouldn't let him stop after these thirteen reasons…

"Define, 'frighten'."

He chuckled, and then softened his expression into a closed mouth smile. "Come on, Bella," he whispered. He curled his arms around me, one under my knees and the other under my shoulder blades, and began to slowly swim back towards the boat.

I watched in amazement how we seemed to materialize in the boat, I had no recollection of getting here but suddenly I was.

I looked at his eyes in surprise, but he still had the same exact expression, a mixture of passion and determination burned in his butterscotch eyes.

"Edward?"

He put me down on my feet gently, put refused to put any room between our wet, half naked bodies. Wait! Our wet, half naked bodies…

"Edward?" I squeaked, the hyperventilating state came quicker and more forceful now, and I could almost feel my heart trying to escape my chest just from my thoughts.

"Shhh, love," he whispered, his breath cool against my ear. "Hold still."

I took a deep shaky breath, though still didn't manage to hold done my shiver as his cold finger traced a line down my spine. At the small of my back, his finger gently brushed my hip, and then followed my side up and around to my shoulder blade.

"Do you remember that first day in the meadow?" he mused suddenly.

I nodded, "The first time I got to touch your face." I blushed, embarrassed that I let out so much information.

He chuckled, "Exactly." Then he paused, though his mouth still lingered by my ear, so I knew he wasn't finished. "Can this be my first day at the meadow?"

I blushed deeper. And fought to stay on my feet. "Mhmm," I whispered hesitantly.

I hadn't realized that my eyes were closed until I felt his lips gently kiss each eye lid. From my eye lid his lips traveled to my cheekbone, and then down to my jaw line, the entire time, his hands rested on the small of my back.

I basically trembled in his arms as his lips softly skimmed my bare shoulder. If he didn't stop soon _I _would be the one with the heart attack, and I was pretty sure my heart was a little more fragile then his.

"Edward," I gasped, my voice wavering.

"Mhmm," he murmured against the crook of my neck.

"Remember how you always remind me to breath?"

I felt the smile spread across his lips, "Of course."

"Can you remind me now?"

He chuckled, kissing my neck one last time before cupping my chin in his hand, and bending down so that his face was inches from my own.

"Breath, Bella," he whispered. The influence of his breath fanning over my face was defiantly not helping in the breathing department.

He grinned, as if satisfied with watching me suffocate over his beauty. I shook my head quickly, forcing the blood to flow.

Edward laughed. "Bella, I thought you _wanted _to eliminate some boundaries."

"I meant the ones that wouldn't make me faint," I accused lightly.

He looked thoughtful for a minute. When he returned from his miniature epiphany, he had a mischievous smile on his face.

"I suggest we make the boundaries clear then," he mused, "So I can be aware of your fainting point."

I glared at his innocent expression, but that didn't seem to concern him.

Without warning and pulled me back against his bare chest, and his finger outlined my spine. "I assume this is acceptable?"

I nodded against his chest, willing my heart to find it's speed break.

He lowered his head and gently kissed my exposed shoulder. "And this?"

"Mhmm."

My hands laid feeble on his damp chest, my whole body lost in numbness.

"And this...tolerable?" His finger traced a circle around my hip, and I could feel the goose bumps.

"Tolerable." I agreed solemnly.

He chuckled and I felt his hands reach behind my back. His fingers stopped at the tie of my halter top. He tugged the ends gently, just enough to get my attention. And it did. I felt my body stiffen and I met his eyes, my face clearly displaying my shock.

He laughed, and brought his hands back to my face, his thumb softly stroking my flushed cheek. "Reason number five why I love you," he grinned, though his expression suddenly became thoughtful. "I'm not sure how to explain this one without sounding vulgar," he murmured, observing my face swiftly. After a moment he nodded to himself and brought his attention back to my eyes. "Your body, Bella."

My eyes involuntarily widened and I could feel my cheeks flame.

He laughed and pressed his cheek to mine, it felt like pure ice in comparison. He pulled away and smiled, "I never do get tired of that," he murmured.

I couldn't control the next shiver that rushed down my spine, and this time the shiver wasn't due to Edward.

He nodded in acknowledgement and reached behind the bench opposite of me to pull out a large blue fleece blanket. He carefully wraps in around my shoulders and sits down on the bottom of the boat, pulling me into his lap. I snuggle into his bare chest in contentment. "Thank you."

"Your welcome," he smiled. "Now back to my reason."

"My body…" I said uncertainly.

"Well," he started, "If people knew about our… situation, to the best of their knowledge they would believe a creature like myself could only love you because I love the smell of your blood."

I nodded, urging him to go on.

"I want you to know that the love I have for your mind, your body, your overall beauty, is one hundred times more potent then the love I have for your blood." He laughed to himself softly and skimmed my cheeks with an icy finger tip, "You're beautiful, Bella," he whispered.

I inverted my eyes, embarrassed.

He gently tilted my chin back up, forcing me to met his eyes, "If you disagree with this statement I, for one, am in favor of giving you a mirror for a wedding gift."

I laughed, and absentmindedly traced random patterns across his chest, trying to take the attention off myself. Edward chuckled and kissed the top of my ear before whispering, "You're beautiful, and I love you."

I gently kissed his chest, "I love you too."

I pulled the blanket around myself tighter and rested my cheek against Edward's shoulder, both of our eyes now fixed on the stars. It was amazing, such a big world, so many stars. Imagine, out of the hundreds of little lights Edward and I saw now, we weren't even seeing half of them, not even close.

I squinted my eyes, trying to see past the immeasurable darkness. The universe was endless, right? Then why couldn't I just look out and see all the planets, see through the atmosphere like clear glass.

I knew why. Because the rest of the universe is too far away. You had to look at what was right in front of you before you strained to see beyond it. You had to understand the stars, before you're able to appreciate the moon.

This made me realize that I had to stop worrying like a mad women about the wedding and the change, and the immortality. I had to look at what was right in front of me. Edward.

I turned my face back towards him and cuddled into his stone figure. I yawned softly.

He tightened his arms around me and carefully brushed the hair away from my face to kiss my forehead.

"Thank you," I mumbled.

He chuckled, "Anytime."

I yawned once more.

"Sleep, Bella," he whispered.

And that's exactly what I did. I feel asleep, on a soothingly swaying boat – that reminded me of the rocking chair in my room – under a blanket of sparkling stars, in the arms of a true angel.

And on top of it, I had one of my most breathtaking dreams of my existence.


	8. Reason Six

The beginning of the dream was nothing special. I was sitting on a little bench swing under a porch. I've never seen this place, perhaps I've read about it. 

As far as my eyes can see there are rolling hills of emerald, nothing to block my view, just the green grass meeting the indigo sky. The withered bench squeaks softly as the breeze swings it, along with me, rhythmically with my heart beat. 

I feel a cooler waft of air at my left ear, and turn my head. Beside me on the bench is Edward in all of his glory. Even in my dream I can feel my breath catch, his beauty never failing to leave me stunned. 

Though this dream seemed different in so many ways. The first thing I noticed was that _this _dream Edward, was remarkably similar to the real life Edward. Usually my dreams did him no justice. I would find him perfect in dream world, and then wake up, and realize I had imagined the strong lines of his jaw wrong, or the shade of his hair had been off. _This _dream Edward, was almost identical, like I had finally memorized every inch of his face, like I had counted every hair on his head, or traced his features over and over again. He was perfect. 

The dream continued and wordlessly, Edward placed my head in his lap, and I watched his face. He seemed content on just staring and smiling at me. 

I gawked his expression quickly, did this dream Edward have less rules? I concluded that it didn't really matter considering it was a dream, so still watching his face, I turned my face so that I was eye level with his torso. Carefully, I lifted the bottom of his shirt. Reluctantly, I inspected his expression. To my surprise, he smiled. 

I continued to lift his shirt, and he didn't seem to find anything strange or unacceptable in this. He just let me tug his shirt over his head and throw it on the ground. 

Any version of Edward without a shirt on was breath taking. I started at my eye level and began absentmindedly outlining his lower abs. I continued up his chest, memorizing the lines that had already been burned into my mind. I followed the trail of my hand all the way up to his cheek. In response he smiled, and bent his head down to kiss me. 

I knotted my hands in his soft bronze hair and he didn't even object. A stronger breeze blew by, throwing his intoxicating smell in the air like a sweet smelling bomb had exploded. When he pulled away – in spite of wanting to kiss him more – I grinned. 

"I love you," I whispered, closing my eyes in contentment and wrapping my arms around his waist. 

"I love you too," he whispered into my hair. "Happy 100th anniversary, Bella." 

I opened my eyes to look at his face. His eyes were blazing and the breeze ruffled his auburn hair. 

"100th anniversary," I mumbled to myself. How old was I? 

I felt my eyes go wide and I froze. With a shaking hand I reached for my face. 

It wasn't wrinkled. 

And my hair, it wasn't thin. 

My skin was a hard, as if I was made of rock. 

With this inspiration, I reached an alabaster hand up to Edward's cheek. He wasn't cold. 

I was a vampire. 

Edward didn't seem to notice as I came to this realization. He took the hand I had placed on his face and kissed the familiar ring the nestled on my third finger.

"Do you know that if I could, I would marry you all over again? I would marry you everyday, for the rest of eternity." I picked my head up so that I could sit on his lap.

"I would marry you too, Edward," I mumbled as I pressed my forehead into his chest. 

"You would?" He chuckled lightly.

I nodded. Suddenly he disappeared form under me, and appeared at my feet. On one knee, he took my left hand. 

"Isabella Marie Cullen, would you marry me everyday, again and again, stunning my dead heart with each passing second, knowing that I love you more then any creature could possibly understand?" 

"I understand," I smiled. 

He grinned and kissed my hand. 

"And Edward Anthony Masen Cullen," I paused for dramatic affect, watching as he froze, as if anxious for my answer. "I would love to marry you, every _second _of every _day_ for the rest of forever." 

His grin expanded and he stood up and brought me into his arms. He hugged me tighter then he ever had. I was no longer breakable, or fragile or delicate, I was strong and stable, and could feel his love spilling over as he pressed his lips into mine. I no longer needed to breath, and he no longer needed self control. I pressed myself harder into his chest and he frantically kissed down my neck, like he wanted to kiss every inch of my skin. 

"I love you," I whispered, my voice burning. I love you, didn't seem right, almost like it wasn't enough. Just like a long time ago when 'boyfriend' didn't fit Edward correctly.

"You're my life, my angel, my hopes and dreams," he whispered simply. 

I thought about that. Yes, that fit perfectly. 

I kissed him once more. And the scene darkened, and I could feel it slipping away.

I woke up, forgetting where I was, I stretched my arms over my head, and arched my back. It's then when I heard the quiet rippling of water. I turned around squinting my eyes as they adjusted to the new light. I opened them wider when I met Edward's face. I was right, the dream captured him perfectly. 

"Good morning," he chimed, seeming overly happy.

"Good morning," I replied back uncertainly.

He put his hands on either side of my head, and brought my lips, almost roughly against his, and kissed me for a long time.

By the time he pulled away, my breathing was coming out in wild gasps. 

"Sorry," he whispered, but he was still grinning blissfully. 

He pulled my forehead against his chest. "Reason number six why I love you." He quickly breathed in the scent of my hair. "Your sleep talking." 

My face glowed red and I was thankful that it was against his cool chest. Though that meant he knew I was blushing.

He chuckled and took my left hand, playing idly with my fingers for a few moments before he spoke softly again. "Last night you said that would love to marry me." I could hear the happiness burning in his voice. He paused before saying, "Is that true?" 

I nodded my head hurriedly, surprised at my eagerness. I brought my other hand to his cold cheek, climbed off his lap so that I was kneeling in front of him. "I would marry you everyday for the rest of eternity." I repeated the words he had used in my dream. 

He grinned, wider then I ever saw him grin, his eyes shooting out dangers of love. I smiled and traced the shape of his grin. I could feel, the longing in the air, his arms stayed glued to the boat, in fear that such strong emotions would end in my pain. 

Very gently I sat in his lap, and picked up each of his arms. Of course I didn't pick up his stone arms alone. He helped me reluctantly as I placed each of his arms around my waist. I kissed his frightened face. "Silly vampire," I giggled, "You can't hurt me. " 

He smiled, and brushed his lips against my own.

* * *

Edward rowed the boat back to the dock, this time I kept my eyes carefully on his face so that I wouldn't become hypnotized by his chest. Though his face, wasn't exactly any less hypnotizing, considering it still held the deep look of passion. 

Wordlessly he picked me up, and we ran back to the mansion. 

Ever so conveniently, the whole Cullen family happened to be in the living room as we walked into the house. They all smiled as we walked in. I heard a couple snickers and then remembered what I looked like. I felt my eyes go wide, and then I ran behind Edward, sticking my head out under his arm. Stupid bikini.

"So Bella, how was your late night swim?" That was Emmett. I blushed furiously and even brought my head behind Edwards back. This made them all laugh harder, except Esme and Carlisle of course.

I heard a smacking sound and then Esme say, "Leave Bella alone."

"Sorry mom," Emmett whispered.

I stifled my laughter at his childish tone. 

Alice appeared at my side suddenly. "Come on, Bella! We have so much to do." Half way through her sentence she was already dragging me up the stairs.

I looked back, horrified as I left Edward on the first floor. 

He met my eyes, smiled and shrugged. Gee, thanks for saving me Mr.Soul Mate. 

"Alice," I sighed,"What are we doing?"

"Well," she contemplated. "First we're going to get you dressed and ready." 

I sighed again, with Alice that could take a few hours. 

"And then we're going shoe shopping."

"Shoe shopping?" I asked nervously. 

"You're not walking down the aisle _barefoot_, Bella."

I gulped. This was going to be an interesting day.

* * *

**Review or I'll tell Edward you hate silver Volvo's :) And we both know you don't want that to happen. **


	9. Reason Seven

**35 reviews for one chapter! Are you all for real!? That's my new personal record, and I owe all of you big fat THANK YOUS. You're all so incredibly nice and give amazing advice, I can't even begin to explain :) **

**This chapter was pretty hard to write, don't ask me why. Maybe I felt all the pressure from all your wonderful reviews! Haha! Anyway, this chapter, in my opinion anyway, has less fluff then most. I hope you still like it though! Please, please, please, review! I basically cried from joy reading some of your reviews. Thanks everybody!! :) **

* * *

Edward sat half content, and half irritated in the back seat of Alice's Porsche. Earlier, we both discovered that he wasn't the only one capable of dazzling.

"Bella, I really shouldn't come shoe shopping with you. It's against tradition," he complained, his chin resting on the shoulder of the passenger seat. Alice had insisted on driving and I was the bride-to-be, so that left Edward in the back seat.

I unsnapped my seat belt and twisted so that I was kneeling in my seat. I rested my chin inches from his.

"Since when do you follow tradition?" I giggled, carefully outlining the dull gray spots below his eyes. I was teasing him of course, Edward was the dictionary definition of tradition. Well, except for the being a vampire part.

He rolled his eyes.

"Fine," I sighed. "The reason your coming is because," I looked warily over at Alice, leaning closer towards Edward's right ear I hissed, "If I have to be subjected to this, your coming down with me."

Alice laughed. "I can hear you, Bella."

I sighed and looked back at Edward. He sighed too and kissed me cheek. "You're right, at least we'll go down together," he mumbled, taking a strand of my hair between his fingers.

Alice grimaced, "It's not like I'm bringing you two to the dungeon. It's a _shoe store _for crying out loud!"

Edward smiled, "Alice is right Bella, I guess you're going to have to get used to shoe shopping if you're planning on marrying me every single day for the rest of eternity." By the end of his sentence he was full on grinning, like he suddenly saw shopping in a whole new light.

I could feel the blood pounding in my veins. Was he actually planning on holding that against me?

"Relax, Bella," he laughed. "I won't hold it against you." He kissed my lips quickly and retreated back against his seat. "Now put your seat belt back on."

I rolled my eyes, but obeyed his command.

We got to the mall in what seemed like record timing. Alice was suddenly a vampire on a mission, with a determined face she led us straight to the shoe store, and I held back a groan has I look at the warehouse sized store. Edward squeezed my hand, his thumb rubbing small circles on my palm.

I got closer to Alice, "Um, Alice, can't you just look into the future and _tell _me which ones to get?"I asked her hopefully.

She smiled wickedly, "Sorry, Bella, but I can't see what you'll get until you decide on which ones you want."

I lowered my head and followed the blissful little pixie. Bring on the torture.

Twenty pairs of high heels later and I was still convincing Alice to let me wear flats. I thought the fact that I first landed on my face, then onto butt, and finally on the sales ladies lap, would be enough to convince Alice that I was incapable of walking, period.

"Look, Bella, these ones only have a one inch heel."

I sighed. They were beautiful, but most of them were. I didn't care how nice they were any more, I just wanted to go home and ice my bruises.

"Why can't I wear flats, again?" I asked her exasperated.

"Bella, unless you want me to place a stepping stool at the alter, you're wearing heels."

I looked at her strangely. "Alice what are you talking about?"

The blond sales lady waited patiently in the chair opposite me. I tried to look away from her as I caught her gawking at Edward, knowing that it wasn't her fault that he was compellingly handsome, but failed miserably as I felt myself drifting from Alice's conversation to glare at her.

"You're too short," she said bluntly.

That got my attention. "Too short? Alice, you're shorter then me."

"I meant too short for Edward. You'll look like a midget at the alter."

I felt my brow furrow. I never thought of that. It was true that he was tall, but did I really look that small beside him?

"Stand up," I demanded him suddenly. He was sitting on the long white bench beside me.

He smiled, finding amusement in my sudden discovery.

He stood up and I stood up in front of him, tilting my head back to look at him.

I bit my lip angrily. "What shoes did you wear to _your _wedding Alice?" I knew for a fact that Jasper was about the same height as Edward, maybe even taller.

"Platforms," she smiled proudly.

I rolled my eyes, well of course Alice could wear platforms, her last wedding was in the seventies. And she wasn't so clumsy that she was almost physically handicapped.

I glanced up at Edward one more time before turning back to Alice.

"Alice, where are those ones from before? The one's with the lace?"

Alice grinned, and almost too fast to pass for human speed, she raced down the aisle and came back with a white box. I opened it quickly and slipped the shoes on my feet. The two inch heels reminded me of daggers as I hobbled unsteadily on them for a few moments.

Eventually Edward held my waist in his hands and I peeked up at him. I was suddenly much taller, just at his shoulder height now.

He chuckled and kissed my lips, now having to bend down less. He pulled away and smiled, "Much more convenient."

I blushed, remembering that the sales lady was still there.

"I think I'll take these ones," I smiled, gazing down at the toe revealing white shoes. A strap ran across the front, decorated in elegant lace, the edge adorned in small diamonds. Simple, beautiful and perfect.

She tore her gaze away from Edward long enough to smile assuringly at me, and take the box to ring it up.

"Bella, make sure you can dance in them," Alice suggested smiling. I had a feeling she already knew how this was going to turn out.

"D-dance?" I stuttered, looking back and forth between her and Edward.

Alice nodded and Edward grinned.

How could I forgot that weddings inquired dancing. I mentally slapped myself in the forehead for not realizing this sooner.

I looked unsurely down at the heels, my knees were wobbling and I wasn't even moving yet.

Edward held out one hand and nodded in encouragement.

I gulped and took one step forward to grasp his hand.

I was almost positive I heard a snapping sound as I felt my feet slip out from under me. My ankles were twisted in the contraptions of death, so their was no saving myself now.

I was just about to hold my arms out, possibly preparing myself for the impact, when I landed in a pair of rigid arms.

I immediately looked up to see his expression twisted in fear.

And then I felt it, the throbbing feeling in my right ankle, like my heart had been sucked down to that very spot, and continued to beat painfully.

I felt my own face contort with pain.

"Oh," I whispered, surprised.

"Don't move," Edward instructed, his voice surprisingly harsh.

I froze, I was to terrified to breath. I tried not to focus on the pain that was slowly building in my ankle, and to pay attention to Edward. Only if he'd stay still.

In a heartbeat I was sitting on the bench, motionless as Edward gently slipped off the white shoe and inspected my ankle. Though I could barely feel the pressure of his fingers, I could feel their iciness and sighed in relief.

"It's broken, Edward," I heard Alice whisper to him, shock in her own voice.

"Why didn't you see that coming, Alice?" There was unexpected hostility in his voice as he glared at Alice.

She narrowed her eyes, "Well, Bella wasn't _planning _on tripping. Were you, Bella?"

They both looked at me. I shook my head back and forth quickly, feeling dizzy from the effort.

Wordlessly, Edward picked me up, somehow managing to hold me, my sneakers, and support my ankle.

"Alice, can you drive please?" he asked through clenched teeth, still not looking at me.

We flew through the mall, earning a few stares at Edward's inhuman pace. But I was still too stunned to ask him to slow down.

This time Edward brought me into his lap as he took his place in the back seat of Alice's Porsche.

It wasn't until we got onto the highway when he finally looked at me. It was amazing how his eyes seemed to blaze, resembling two slowly swirling pots of gold. His expression was frantic, and there was pain in his own features, possibly even more then in mine. I wanted to tell him to relax and that he was absurd with his over reacting but I couldn't find my voice.

I heard Alice mutter something into a cell phone in the front seat.

"I-I don't want to go to the hospital," I croaked finally staring at Edward.

"We're just bringing you to Carlisle." He grimaced, and then sighed, "I'm so sorry, Bella." He dropped his head so that his forehead was resting in my hair.

I sat there for a while, trying to piece together everything and find the part where it was _his _fault, but I failed miserably.

I looked back and forth between the serious expressions on Edward and Alice's faces, and could feel the laughter bubble over before I could stop it. Laughter was good, the pain in my ankle was slowly subsiding as I descended into my hysteria's.

"Is she okay?" I heard Alice ask.

Edward ignored her, touching my contorted face with his finger tip.

"Bella," he sighed frustrated, "Why are you laughing?"

I stopped laughing long enough to take a few deep breaths and smile at Edward. "How many times do I get hurt, in say a week?"

"Where are you going with this?" He asked suspiciously, aggravation lucid in his upset expression.

"Just answer the question, how many times?"

"None."

"Why none?" I asked smiling.

He tried to interpret what I was doing, but groaned in failure.

"Why none?" I repeated.

"Because I catch you," he admitted quickly. "But that's exactly the problem. I'm supposed to catch you, and look what happened." He gestured down to my ankle, but I kept my eyes on his face, scared that looking at it would bring back the throbbing pain.

"Edward, do you think this is my worst injury yet?"

He winced, not needing reminders.

"You can't save me from myself _all _the time," I giggled.

He let that settle in, and then -- probably for my benefit -- smiled, a weak, sheepish smile.

We couldn't say anything else because Alice was at the car door, ushering us out.

It must have been Carlisle on the phone with Alice before, because the second we got into the house, Carlisle was at the door, leading us to the living room.

"Put her down on the sofa Edward," he instructed.

Edward placed me gently on the sofa, his fingers lingering on my back like he was afraid to let me go.

I rolled my eyes, he was really taking this to an extreme.

"Edward," Carlisle continued. "Go get me the glass of water on the counter."

In a heartbeat, Edward was back with the water and was tilting it for me to drink.

"I can hold it Edward," I sighed. "There's nothing wrong with my hands."

He grimaced and passed me the cup.

I drank it quickly, dismissing the strange after taste it left.

"Does this hurt, Bella?" Carlisle asked, he was at the other end of the sofa, prodding my swelling ankle softly with his cold finger tips.

"No."

"How about now?" He moved his finger tips swiftly to another spot.

"No."

"Now?"

I bit my lip, holding back a wince.

"How bad is it Carlisle?" Edward asked, not needing my input.

I watched as Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and Alice entered the room.

"It _is _broken," Carlisle sighed, running a hand through his blond hair. "I'm going to have to put another cast on it, Bella." He smiled at me apologetically.

I groaned.

I could feel Emmett's laughter shake the room before I heard it. "Edward marries Bella when she's eighteen and she's still going to be coming down the aisle in a wheelchair."

Jasper and Rosalie snorted and Edward growled.

Alice ran to my side, taking my hand, her large topaz eyes were set wide like saucepans. "I'm so sorry Bella, I didn't know you would trip! I should have took into consideration your –"

"Alice," I laughed cutting her off. "This is nobody's fault except my own." I looked pointedly at Edward, hoping he would learn something from my little speech too. "I'd rather break it _now_ then on my way down the aisle," I grimaced.

"Now Bella," Carlisle told me sternly, "I don't have the equipment here to put a cast on you, and I know you don't want to go to hospital…"

I shook my head quickly.

He chuckled and continued. "Can I trust you to stay off it until tomorrow when I can bring the plaster home from work?"

I nodded, a yawn escaping from my mouth.

Before I even finished yawning I was in Edward's arms. I cuddled my head further into his chest and sighed.

I heard a dull chorus of _goodnight, Bella's. _And then all I could hear was the rhythmic beating of my heart and I could feel a coldness, seeping threw my skin by my ankle.

I opened my eyes and found myself in Edward's room. We were lying on his top of his golden comforter, my leg hitched around his waist so that he could hold my searing ankle in his cool palm.

"Am I hurting you?" He whispered concerned.

I shook my head, "No, it feels good." My words were slurred. I wondered why I was so tired.

Edward chuckled. "It's alright love, Carlisle put morphine in your water."

I yawned once more, leaning closer into Edward's embrace.

"Do you want to know the seventh reason why I love you?" He whispered suddenly. His stone arms encircled me, and his fingers made idle shapes on my back.

I met his eyes for a second before returning to my original position. "Will I agree with this reason?" I asked suspiciously, wondering why he asked me if I wanted to hear it.

He hesitated before admitting, "Probably not."

I sighed, closing my eyes and listening to my heart beat. He prodded my jaw bone with his nose softly. "You never answered my question," his velvet voice murmured. "Do you want to hear the seventh reason?"

"Sure," I muttered, wondering if he had heard me.

I think he did because I heard him chuckle once before brushing my hair off my cheek, strand my strand, before he gently kissed his way from my cheek to my ear. "Reason number seven why I love you. Your adorable clumsiness."

I shivered as his cold breath caressed my skin, but tried hard to form a coherent sentence. "Not a good reason," I mumbled.

"Yes it is," he cooed, tracing the shape of my jaw line. "However, we'll discuss it in the morning."

I nodded, already drifting away.

"Sleep my clumsy beautiful, Bella. I love you."

I tried to say _I love you too. _But his breath had been so close, my body melted and I prevailed into my awaiting dreamland.


	10. Fate

**This is a filler chapter once again. (Dodges rotten fruit) I know, know. Sorry! There's no reason in this one but we needed to get some things figured out so this chapter is definatley important. Alot more fluff to those who enjoy that kind of thing :) Your reviews are making me so incredibly happy. Do you believe I'm about to reach 200 because I DON'T! You guys are the best reviewers in history! Big hugs for all of you! :) **

**P.S. I apologize for the spelling/grammar mistakes in this one. I have math homework that was put on hold in my time of sudden inspiration! **

**Enjoy & Review !**

My dream was lost to me the second I woke up. I searched my mind, trying to remember something, but was unsuccessful.

"What's wrong, Bella?"

I squinted my eyes, trying to adjust the light coming through his massive window. I yawned and pulled the covers farther up to my chin and closing my eyes. It was colder then usual in his room.

"Why is it so cold?"

I heard him chuckle softly. I opened my eyes, taken aback by what I saw. Edward was under the golden comforter with me. Usually he stayed on top, claiming I would get too cold if his body was too close for too long.

"Would you like me to move?" He asked innocently.

"No!" I yelled. I blushed as I realized I answered too loudly. "I mean…"

He chuckled, brushing the hair out of my face gently. "I would have just let go of your ankle and put you under the cover but I was afraid the swelling would return."

My ankle, I forgot about it. I looked down at it, resting in his palm. It was a ghastly dull purple color and I winced at the sight. Edward quickly smoothed down my hair, kissing my forehead slowly. He pulled back and adjusted himself so that his face was inches from my own.

"I'm sorry I overreacted." He whispered. "It's just sometimes I feel like you frighten me more then I frighten you. And _I'm _the vampire," he laughed lightly.

I smiled and let my fingers trail across his collar bone. "You don't frighten me at all."

He sighed. "I know."

"Why do I frighten you?"

He pursued his lips in thought, as if trying to find the right words. "I've told you before Bella that what we have… it goes against destiny… it goes against fate. And I feel like if I let you out of my sight for two seconds…" He paused and I could feel his fists clench behind my back.

I kissed his cheek quickly and he smiled, letting his fists unclench, but his pained expression returned quickly. "If I'm not there I feel like fate's finally going to get it's way."

"But you were there," I whispered.

He laughed, a hard, icy laugh. "And that's what terrified me the most! I was _still _there and fate was trying to do away with you!"

I ran my fingers threw his bronze hair, relishing at the softness. "Edward, I broke my ankle. There's been many times where I feel fate is trying to do away with me and this wasn't one of them." I continued because his expression told me he wasn't truly hearing me out. "Edward I almost got mulled by Tyler's van, I got attacked by a raging, lunatic vampire, slit my forehead open on a motorcycle, jumped off a cliff, faced an ancient team of vampires, and was in the middle of war with Victoria. You're telling me, that you thought fate was out to get me in a shoe store?" I was breathing heavily by the end of my little rant. I noticed immediately when Edwards hands returned to fists and his eyes twisted into black slits.

I ran over my own words in my head and found my flaw. I never really _did _tell Edward about cutting my forehead during the motorcycle phase.

"The point is," I continued. "We can't really know what fate has in store for us until it happens."

He took a deep ragged breath and I watched tensely as his eyes flittered back to their golden color. "I'm not letting fate touch you Bella. It'll take you away from me, I'm not suppose to be on this Earth…"

"But isn't that what fate is?" I whispered, touching his face. "Things happen for no reason at all, and pieces of a puzzle land in random places, and even _you _can't do anything about that."

He let my words sink in for a while. He smoothed my hair down with his palm and searched my face.

"You're right," he admitted finally. Then he furrowed his brow in concentration as he whispered, "Maybe this is fate. Who's to say it's not? Maybe my life had been planned this way since the day I was born. As was Carlisle's saving me and yours finding me."

I thought about that for a moment. "Fate's not very nice then," I whispered remembering the many times Edward claimed himself as a monster. If fate really was some kind of prevailing force, how could it plan for one's death. Or in this case, one's endless immortality.

Edward looked surprise at my conclusion. "No," he disagreed quickly. "If this is fate," he placed his palms on either side of my face and squeezed gently, a breath taking smile on his face. "Then fate is a beautiful thing." He leaned down and softly pressed his lips against mine. I pressed myself harder against him and felt my ankle fall off the position on his leg.

"Ow," I moaned softly against his lips. He pulled back surprised and then noticed my ankle on the sheets. He sat up and crawled to the other end of the bed. Gently he raised my foot in his palm and softly kissed the ghastly purple skin. His lips were just as cold as his hands – and much more preferred. I smiled.

"Better?"

"Mhmm," I sighed.

He grinned and kissed a trail from the top of my foot to my ankle bone. Then he reached back up to the head of the bed and grabbed a pillow, placing it under my ankle gently as if it was the most fragile piece of glass in the world. It probably was, compared to his inhuman strength. He crawled back up to sit next to me and kissed my forehead.

"Beautiful, clumsy girl," he mumbled against my skin.

I suddenly remembered his seventh reason and titled my head up to met his eyes. He smiled sheepishly.

"If you're so worried about my fate why does my clumsiness … _attract_ you?" I couldn't think of the right word but he smiled.

He ignored my question and began to twirl a piece of my hair on his pointer finger. "Or is it not the clumsiness you like, but catching me afterwards?"

He laughed, and titled my head back to kiss my lips. "You caught me," he chuckled.

"Edward," I complained.

"Okay, okay," he amended. "I chose clumsiness as the seventh reason because the first time I saw you – though at the time it wasn't exactly pleasant – it seemed like you… stumbled into my life. In a sense you were like a wrecking ball that day, your smell enough to drive me mad, but then knowing how fragile you were. It gave me all the more willpower to kill you right there."

I cringed. Much like I always did when Edward brought up that day. He felt my recoil and kissed my forehead apologetically.

"But as I got to know you and love you, that disadvantage became an advantage. With the constant contact, merely catching you when you tripped, it forced me closer to you. Your clumsiness played a big part in why I was terrified to leave you alone for even a second, in fear you'd get hurt."

I thought about that for a while, eventually taking his hand and idly playing with his fingers. Threading my fingers through his and then tracing the lines in his hands. Finally I pulled away. "So, you _like _catching me?"

He laughed, "Very much."

I smiled and then went back to fiddling with his fingers.

The thought crashed into my mind unexpectedly and I audibly winced. I pressed my lips together firmly, hoping he hadn't heard me. My mind was already in a panic from my thoughts alone.

"Bella?"

Of course he heard it. He _was _a vampire.

I didn't answer him and continued to play with his fingers but my hands were shaking to much to pass as nothing.

He grabbed my shaking hands and used our intertwined hands to tilt my chin towards him.

"What?" he asked concerned. "What's wrong Bella?"

I took a deep breath. I had to tell him, not because he would be able to tell if I lied, but because if I didn't tell somebody soon I was almost positive I was going to explode.

"Don't get me wrong Edward, I love all of your reasons but…" I hesitated.

"But…" he encouraged, leaning closer.

I sighed. "All of your reasons have to do with me being human."

He leaned back, a puzzled expression coating his angelic features. I waited patiently for him to catch on. Finally, realization dawned on his face and before I knew it, my face was pressed in the crook between his shoulder and his neck and he was rocking me slowly.

"Bella," he chuckled softly. "I should have been more clear."

I waited as he hummed a part of my lullaby. Finally he whispered, "My reasons have to do with _why_ I feel in love with you. Everyday I fall in love with you all over again because of the things I have portrayed. These are the things I love about the human Bella. Most likely, many of these things will not follow you after your change but _this_," he pulled back to cup my face in his hands once more. "This," he repeated. "Will always be there. Which is how I know I will love you forever, until the end of the world, for _eternity._"

I could feel my throat clench painfully and I knew what was coming next.

He smiled crookedly and leaned closer to whisper, "I'm sure that when you're a vampire I'll still fall in love with you everyday. All over again."

I felt his lips touch mine at the exact same time a pair of tears rolled hotly down my cheek. He felt it too and pulled away to wipe away the tears with his thumb.

Without warning, a jolting pain shot through my ankle, freezing me in place. It only lasted a second and was soon replaced with a emphasized throbbing.

Edward noticed and was soon behind his closet door, in a second he was out in a new set of clothes. He ran his fingers through his hair. "The morphine's wearing off, love."

Without my input he carefully swept me into his arms and began our journey downstairs at human pace, most likely an attempt to keep my ankle from moving too quickly, though that would be unlikely considering he had in gently braced in one of his hands.

He sat down on the sofa, keeping me safely in his lap. "The fact that I'm not aloud to put you down is defiantly an advantage." He smiled wickedly and kissed me. I giggled against his lips and he pulled back.

"Carlisle just said that I couldn't _walk, _he said nothing about not being able to sit on the couch by myself," I told him matter-of-factly.

"Whatever you say," he grinned.

In blinding speed I was sitting on the complete opposite side of the couch. Edward stared at the blank TV as if something interesting was on. I smiled and crawled across the couch and replaced myself in his lap.

He raised an eyebrow jokingly.

"I said _Carlisle _said nothing about not being able to sit by myself. I, however, think it's a good idea."

He laughed and leaned back against the pillows. I inclined my head against his chest and listened to my own breathing.

"What would you like to do this morning?" He asked.

"I get to choose?"

He laughed. "Well my plan doesn't take action until later tonight."

I raised an eyebrow. "You have a plan, do you?"

He nodded.

I smiled and looked around for something to do in the meantime. My eyes glazed over the room, finally falling on his piano.

"Will you play for me?"

He followed my gaze. "Of course."

He stood up, and I was still in his arms as we crossed the room to the piano. As gently as ever he placed me on the piano bench, bending down to make sure my foot wouldn't hit the ground too roughly. After he was done making sure I wouldn't crumble in front of his eyes, he sat down beside me and placed his hands on the keys.

"What would you like me to play?"

I bit my lip, deciding. "Play the one that Esme likes so much."

He smiled and turned back to the piano. Instantly his fingers were gliding over the ivory keys, sending the music into a soft spiral across the room. I watched as his fingers soared smoothly, as if it was effortless, and the wonderful music in the air was natural.

I leaned against his upper arm and closed my eyes, letting the soft drone of the music calm me. The tranquility forced me to forget about my ankle and I felt like I was on a cloud. Suddenly I felt his nose, gently prod my cheek. I opened my eyes, surprised to find that he was staring at me, yet the music still continued, his fingers moved as if they had memorized every key. The song came to a soft ending and he smiled. "Would you like to try?"

I stared at him, a staggered expression on my face. "Edward, I can't play the piano."

"I'll teach you," he smiled.

"You're going to teach me how to play…" I trailed off has he picked me up and placed me in his lap. His head tilted around me so that his cheek was pressed against mine.

"Put your hands on mine," he instructed softly.

My hands were shaking slightly as I placed them on his. They looked so small compared to his and I giggled nervously.

He began to play. The song was unfamiliar but his hands stayed in the same general area on the piano. This one was probably easier. I stared mesmerized as my hands flowed with his over the mixture of ivory and ebony keys. The song was beautiful nonetheless and I was amazed at how fingers simply touching this instrument could make such wonderful sounds.

"It's beautiful," I gushed quietly.

He turned his head, and looking solely at me he said, "Yes, it certainly is." And with that he finished the song, and played right into a melody that was very familiar to me. My lullaby.

I closed my eyes and leaned back against his chest as my hands moved gracefully with his. Sitting here in his embrace, I could have melted. The music pulsed through me, pleasurably and movingly. I know how many times I've thought this, but this time, I truly meant it. If I could stay in one moment, for the rest of eternity, it would be right here.

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	11. Reason Eight

**A/N: I would like to make a short little announcement. This announcement is important and critical ... MY REVIEWERS ARE AWESOME. You all have to stop being so nice to me or my ego might explode! It is very, very appreciated and due to your wonderful support I am now replying to reviews, to thank each and every one of you personally for your support! I love you all! Thanks, here's the next reason. Enjoy :) **

For hours Edward and I sat there at the piano. He would play a few notes, and I would watch his fingers as he exaggerated the movements for my eyes. He would pull his hands away, only to be replaced with mine. Carefully I would mimic the five or six notes he had played, slowly memorizing my own lullaby.

"Was that right?" I asked him, as the notes hung in the air, sounding dreadfully dull subsequent to his angelic playing.

"Perfect," he smiled. "Soon you won't even need me to play for you anymore."

"In your dreams," I scoffed.

He looked confused for a moment. "Bella, I don't have dreams."

"Exactly," I grinned.

He laughed and kissed my nose. "_You're _funny."

"And you're ridiculous," I smiled. "I never want you to stop playing for me. Even If I become Mozart overnight."

He chuckled and rested his forehead on my shoulder.

I smiled and began tapping random piano keys with my pointer finger. Somehow the notes sounded muffled when they spun into the air. I wondered how the same instrument could sound different when played by two different people. But then again, we _are _talking about Edward here.

Edward's forehead remained on my shoulder and I continued to tap the keys, combining different pitches and sounds, it was exhilarating, like I couldn't try enough combinations at once.

I finally found one I liked. It was a mixture of high pitched noises and harmonized deeper sounds. I played the melody over and over. Eventually, I closed my eyes like Edward had. At first my fingers fumbled over the keys, hitting two at once and hesitating before each note. It was harder then I thought, playing blind, and I could feel my brow furrowing in the effort.

Suddenly I could feel Edwards hands covering my own softly. They felt like the wings of a butterfly, gently landing on my skin. I smiled and continued to play the composition and his hands fluidly followed, just as mine had done to his before.

"Did you come up with this?" He asked surprised.

I nodded. He kissed the back of my neck and I barley contained my shiver. From my neck, he continued to trail his kisses to the hollow behind my ear. My fingers became weak, and the music became sluggish. Finally his lips grazed my earlobe and I was dangerously close to fainting.

"Reason number eight why I love you." He whispered, his cool breath hitting my ear. "Your soft, warm touch." Then he grasped my weak hands in his own and held my palm up against his cheek. His cheek, like the rest of him, was icy cold.

He brought my palm to his lips and kissed it gently. He let it go, but I quickly rested it back on his cheek and craned my neck backwards so that my lips hit his. He didn't protest, instead he lowered his head down, closer, pressing his lips against mine harder.

I was still on his lap as I carefully swiveled my body, without breaking the kiss, until I was eventually straddling him. I secured my arms in a chokehold around his neck. I would like to see him escape now…

But of course, as soon as I thought that, he did, easily breaking away from my "chokehold".

He grinned pressing my hand to his cheek once more. "Carlisle's in the driveway, he's waiting until it's safe to come in."

I stared at him puzzled. He grinned, chuckling under his breath in amusement.

"Vampires have _exceptional _hearing, Bella."

It took me another moment to understand, and when I finally did, I almost felt sick. Carlisle could _hear _Edward and I. And he found in appropriate to wait outside of his own house until we were done kissing!? The blush immediately found it's way to my cheeks.

At that moment, I heard the front door open, and instantaneously scrambled from Edward's lap. It was a second later when I realized my mistake.

"Ouch!" I yelped jumping onto my un-injured foot. I closed my eyes, willing the pain to ease as I hopped around frantically.

I was quickly in Edward's arms, the pain still a dull throb. I opened one eye hesitantly to face his distressed expression.

"I'm fine," I squeaked.

He sighed and turned around. Carlisle was waiting patiently at the entrance of the room.

"Good afternoon," he smiled. "Edward, Bella," he nodded at each of us.

I could feel my face flood with scarlet blush as I remembered what he had _heard_.

"I hear you didn't abide by my orders," he told me raising an eyebrow, as he dropped his black medical bag by the door, and nodded to Edward to carry me to the dining room.

It took me a moment to remember that he had heard me hopping around in pain. "I forgot," I admitted quietly.

He nodded, smiling at me. I knew I was forgiven.

"Edward, sit her on the table and I'll go get the plaster."

Edward nodded and carefully laid me on the Cullen's dining room table. It was always more of a prop then anything else, though, ever since I've been here, it's been frequently used as a medical table.

Carlisle fit me into a white ankle cast, quickly and with much noticed experience. This cast wasn't a walking cast like the last one I had after my episode with James. This cast was bulky and hard, and the worst part was, it required me to use crutches.

I bit my tongue against questioning if Edward could just carry me everywhere. I had a feeling that that wouldn't go over too well with Charlie.

My heart froze at even the thought of his name. Had I forgotten about Charlie completely? When was the last time I went home? I couldn't even remember. It seemed like so long ago, like a different lifetime. Charlie may swallow my lies, but he's not brainless. He knows I'm not up in Alice's room painting my toe nails when I have a fiancée who lives right down the hall.

"Okay, Bella. You're going to have to use the crutches with the hard cast, but if we're lucky, I may be able to get you into a walking cast for the wedding," Carlisle told me, dragging me out of my frantic thoughts.

I groaned. If _who's _lucky? Because if it's me who's suppose to be lucky, then I might be doing just what Emmett said and going down the aisle in a wheelchair.

Carlisle continued to tell me all the things I should and shouldn't do, all of which I was pretty familiar with considering it had been a little more than a year since my last traumatic injury. Though being attacked by a malicious vampire is a bit more traumatic then tripping over air, but then again, it was all in days work for me.

When we were all done, and Carlisle retired to his study, Edward let me try out the crutches. Whoever made the crutches obviously didn't know me at all. I tripped over my own two feet on a daily basis and having crutches was like an extra pair to tumble over in my spare time.

Eventually Edward picked me up and I held onto the crutches grudgingly. He smiled at me and I turned my head away in frustration.

"Bella," he sighed.

I turned back to him and groaned lightly, continuing to grimace as I bitterly traced the neckline of his shirt with my finger.

"You'll get used to them," he said encouragingly, nodding towards the crutches.

I continued to glowered at his gray long sleeve shirt until I realized something. I smiled at him, my expression slowly melting into an evil grin as I grasped my sudden luck.

"Bella? Are you okay?" he asked warily.

"There _is _something good about this." I raised my casted foot. "I can wear flats!"

He laughed. "Don't let Alice hear that."

I rolled my eyes, still smiling. The only way Alice would get a heel on one of my feet was if she wanted me limping down the aisle.

This seriously brightened my outlook of the dancing portion of the wedding too. It would be just like junior prom, I could stand on Edwards feet while he twirled around gracefully.

Breaking my ankle suddenly seemed like the answer to all of my problems. Well not all of them… I blushed as my stomach growled loudly. I looked around, as if suddenly interested with the interior of the Cullen house.

Edward laughed at my attempt to ignore my snarling stomach.

"This is where my plan comes in," he whispered against my jaw line.

"And this plan," I asked suspiciously. "It allows me to stumble over my extra pair of legs," I asked irritated as I nodded towards the crutches in my lap.

"Of course not," he smiled. He leaned closer, his lips were barley touching mine when he whispered, "I'll catch you."

I smiled and kissed him, letting the crutches lay abandon in my lap.

The kiss was interrupted by my ever so rude stomach.

I groaned as he pulled away. He laughed, "Your stomach's right love, it's time to go. "

I didn't have a chance to object as I was suddenly being placed in the passenger seat of his Volvo.

I crossed my arms over my chest as he appeared in the drivers seat. He smiled, quiet smug.

"I'm not going to like this surprise, will I?" I questioned cagily.

He pursed his lips. "Not at first."

I heaved a sigh, that meant not at all.

We were already out of the long driveway and Edward's hand reached over for mine and stroked it softly.

"You never explained your reason," I reminded him.

"Your warmth?" He smiled, squeezing my hand slightly.

I nodded.

"It's the most… heavenly feeling in the world… holding your hand. And the softness," he smoothed his thumb over my palm. "So delectable," he murmured, picking my hand up to kiss my wrist.

"It's so human, yet when I hold _your_ hand I feel neither human, or vampire…" he stared at my hand as he spoke, his forehead wrinkled in concentration. "I feel… like a cloud or… a bird. Yes, like I could float out of my skin, almost like your lovely touch is enough to send me to heaven."

"You don't look like a cloud or a bird," I giggled reaching over to stroke his cheek with my palm.

"Well my heart can't race like yours, and my cheeks can't turn crimson with blush, so at least give me the freedom of shape shifting," he laughed.

I smiled and brought his own hand back to my lips and peppered it in kisses.

"Your lips are warm too," he murmured.

I smiled and continued to kiss gently up his arm.

"We're here, Bella."

I looked up from his hand and dropped it in confusion.

"Charlie's house?" I asked. "What are we doing here?"

"I thought we'd have dinner here. Is that a problem?"

"No, no," I answered slightly dizzy.

I had to sit through a whole dinner with my father who hated my fiancée and my fiancée who was a vampire and couldn't technically _eat_ dinner. This was going to be lovely.

Edward was at my door in a second and carefully holding me in one arm, my crutches in the other.

"I'm going to put you down on your good foot. Okay, Bella? Then I'll give you the crutches."

I rolled my eyes and nodded. He set me down slowly on my good foot and I hobbled around for a moment before I could regain my balance. Then he handed me the crutches.

I was close to laughing as Edward followed close behind me up the walkway. He watched me intently and I could almost see the worry lines permanently wearing into his granite skin.

We stopped at the door and I took a gulp of air.

"Are you ready?" He asked me unsurely.

"Ready." I tried to make my smile convincing but he grimaced at my poor attempt.

I knocked tensely at the door, feeling awkward and nervous as I waited for Charlie to answer.

The door swung open quickly, as if Charlie had been expecting our arrival.

Charlie first saw me and his eyes scanned over me, slowly taking in the cast and crutches. He didn't have a second to respond because behind him came a voice I knew almost too well. A voice I would never forget.

But what was that voice doing here? In this house? At this time?

"Bella!"

It couldn't be, it wasn't … It was.

Renee.


	12. Reason Nine

**Sorry for the short wait there everybody! I know you don't want to hear excuses, so I guess it's a good thing my only excuse is LIFE. Major writers block was a slight problem too. Anyway, I suddenly had to type this out because I had a brilliant idea for my NEXT story. I'm not free enough to handle two stories so I'm going to finish this one up first. What can I say, new inspiration :) Thanks for all the reviews guys. Honestly, I was hoping this story would get 100 reviews tops by the end and look at me now! Almost 300! I could cry, seriously. Well now that I've wasted your time, enjoy the chapter :) **

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The second Renee came around the corner, her face fell into a grimace and she sighed heavily.

"Bella, not again."

I couldn't exactly be sure what she said though, or what anyone said for that matter. My heart was currently lodged in my head, beating deeply against my eardrum. I had to keep reminding myself that she didn't know about the wedding… unless Charlie told her.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" I choked out.

A look of pain flashed across her face. "Edward invited me. Do you not want me here, Bella?"

I took a moment to glare at Edward. He avoided my gaze, and smiled at Renee and Charlie.

"No, of course I want you here Mom…" It took a lot of work to keep the sharpness out of my tone. I couldn't believe Edward purposely put me in this situation. He knew that I was afraid to tell Renee. It would have been much easier over the phone where I couldn't witness her wrath.

Renee smiled warmly. "Well come in, come in," she encouraged taking the door from Charlie's hands that had since laid numb on the door handle. I peeked up at Charlie before following Renee into the living room. His expression stared warily after Renee as if anticipating her rage too. I gulped and carefully followed after her.

It took deep concentration has I stood on one foot and swung the crutches forward, pulling my body with them. The living room seemed so far away and Charlie's house never seemed bigger. We finally made it into the living room, Charlie quickly jogging ahead to snag a seat in the old recliner, ever so conveniently leaving Edward, Renee and I, all to sit on the sofa.

"So, Bella," Renee sighed. "What happened this time?" She pointed to my ankle.

Breaking to my mother that I was getting married, should not be done while explaining that I tripped over my _wedding _shoes. I figured that might be too big of a shock. "I tripped," I shrugged, blushing.

I heard Edward chuckle, almost silently beside me.

"You tripped?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. I forgot how hard it was to lie to Renee. She noticed everything.

"In shoes," I added carefully.

"What kind of shoes?"

I gulped. Was she doing this on purpose? Did she already know, and felt the need to torture me? I suddenly felt like I was in one of those old fashion movies, being questioned by a detective. The next thing I know, Renee's going to be behind a thick wooden desk, shining a bright light in my eyes, demanding my whereabouts everyday since I moved to Forks.

"High heels," I muttered. "You know I can't walk in those things."

She laughed lightly and then sighed. Her eyes brightened considerably and before I could stop her she launched into a story about the time I ran around our house in her red pumps, falling all over the place, but the whole time I was too stubborn to stop. I was five and ended up with a body covered in bruises.

When Renee was done embarrassing me to oblivion, Edward smiled at me and I let my face fall into my hands in a hideous attempt to hide my blush.

"So," Renee said suggestively, glancing back and forth between Edward and I. Oh god, this was it. "How are things going?"

I peeked at Edward out of the corner of my eye, through my lashes I could see him nod his head encouragingly. I glanced back at Renee, and noticed her shift uncomfortably. She was glancing back and forth, trying to figure out why Edward was nodding. She looked terrified.

"Fine," I squeaked.

"Fine?" She repeated confused.

I glanced at Edward quickly. He looked disappointed. "Yep."

I fiddled with my thumbs nervously, hoping Renee wouldn't notice my discomfort.

But like I said, Renee noticed everything.

"Bella, what's going on?" She asked, her voice raising to a worried yelp.

I moved my tongue around unsurely in my mouth, thinking of ways to start. _I think you should sit down for this. _No, she was already sitting and saying that might increase her anxiety. _Mom, are you familiar with the sacrament of matrimony? _No, definitely not. _Mom, Edward and I have something to tell you. _That was good enough, that's the best way to start, I suppose. Though I didn't think it would matter much how I began, she's just going to hear the word marriage and race out of this house, possibly faster then even Edward's capable of.

I took and deep breath and began, "Mom, Edw –"

I was interrupted by a ringing sound, coming from the kitchen.

"Oh!" She gasped. "The chicken!" She flew from the seat beside me and into the yellow kitchen.

The second she disappeared, I let out a strangled breath of relief. I glanced at Edward first, he was looking at me anxiously. I sighed and turned my head to peek at Charlie. He was looking down at his knees, shaking his head slightly. "You're going to have to tell her eventually, Bella," he mumbled, not meeting my eyes.

"I know," I muttered back, helplessly fiddling with my fingers.

Edward silently grasped my shaking hands and brought them softly to his lips. He pressed my palms together and kissed my thumbs gently.

I peeked at Charlie but he had his eyes closed and was massaging his temple. I felt horrible that I was the cause for his pain. I sighed and turned back around, only to be twisted into a limp puddle as I met Edward's golden gaze.

"You can do it, Bella," he whispered.

I shook my head numbly, "I can't."

He chuckled, "But you can. I know you can." Then silently, peeking at Charlie quick, he mouthed, "Alice."

I sighed. It did make me feel better that Alice saw me telling Renee, but then again, telling Renee was inevitable. Telling her, wasn't the part that frightened me, her reaction had me squirming as my head unleashed the possibilities.

"Dinner's ready!" Renee called from the kitchen.

Edward helped me up from the sofa and Charlie groaned as he removed himself from the chair. We all trudged into the kitchen like we were being led to the dungeons. Except Edward of course, who's walking could never be described as 'trudging'. He couldn't wrap his arm around my waist to keep me steady due to my swinging crutches of death, but he somehow managed to whisper an "Ouch," when I swung one a little too hard and whacked him in the shin. I stopped horrified, and Charlie continued past us, I could see a flicker of a grin on his face.

"Oh my god, Edward, I'm so sorry. I—"

"Bella," he laughed. He took one step closer so that his cool breath tickled my ear. "I'm indestructible. Remember?"

I shivered at his closeness and could feel my crutches start to wobble under my sudden weight. Edward smiled and held on tight to the crutches until I could become aware of my surroundings again. I took a deep breath and continued my journey.

We all took our seats on the various mismatched chairs in Charlie's outdated kitchen. Edward sat next to me, Charlie on my other side, and Renee was across from me. I felt Edward's hand nudge mine and I grasped it carefully. He squeezed lightly and I took a deep breath. Before words could slip out, Renee spoke, "So Charlie, how's it going down at the station these days?"

I swallowed my confession and peeked at Edward. He didn't seem surprised though.

"The station? Oh. Great, it's… great." Charlie seemed deflated as he stirred his corn around his plate.

I wondered how Edward planned to _eat_ dinner. I peeked out from the corner of my eye. I watched as he brought the fork full of food up to his mouth. If I hadn't been so custom to it, I wouldn't have noticed when he quickly dumped the food over his shoulder, swiftly catching it in a hand behind his back. Moving his mouth in a chewing motion, he blindly crushed the food in his inhumanly strong fingers, turning it to dust.

I quickly put food in my mouth, praying that I wouldn't burst out laughing. He seemed so serious while doing his little routine that I wondered how Renee and Charlie didn't notice that he _ate _with so much concentration.

As the dinner prevailed I began to feel the shaky feeling in the air, the silence that hung like a glass plate above my head. I couldn't tell what was happening. Renee had seemed so concerned before, asking what was going on. Why was she suddenly avoiding it?

I took the opportunity to look around the little table, glancing at each person individually. My eyes fell on Charlie first, his face looking gray and sunken in under the harsh lighting in the diminutive kitchen. I hadn't noticed it before but he looked as if he hadn't shaven for a few days, an uneven stubble speckled his chin and upper lip. His hair was tousled, as if in a desperate attempt to make it look washed and combed. He looked about ten years older then the last time I had seen him.

Next I glanced at Renee, her short brown hair layered around her face as she stared contently at her mashed potatoes. She seemed to be shifting uncomfortably, and I caught her eye as she peeked at me, first from under her eyelashes and then to stare at me. Her brown eyes latched onto mine briefly before I could turn my head away from the gravity of her dark eyes.

Finally I let my gaze fall on Edward. He was still concentrating on his food pulverizing ceremony, but I could clearly see the worry lines edged in his granite forehead. I could be wrong, and they could be caused solely by his concentration, but I couldn't help feel like_ I_ was the reason they were there. I knew he planned this so that I could get the weight of telling Renee off my shoulders, a burden that's been whacking the back of my brain for the past week. He was trying to help, and I had been pushing the issue much too far.

I grabbed Edward's hand quickly, pulling it away from the table. He looked sideways at me, a surprised expression on his face. I glanced past his startled face to lock my eyes with Renee's once more. "Edward and I are getting married," I said loudly and quickly.

The symbolic glass plate above my head was shattered, and the pieces were in slow motion, sprinkling down, so close to my scalp I could almost feel it.

I held my breath as Renee's fork clattered against her plate, the sound seemed to ring on and vibrate the air as I stayed motionless, begging for even the slightest sound.

Renee stared at me, her expression shaken and I think I knew exactly how she felt. The room was probably spinning.

"You're what?" She whispered, leaning closer over the table, as if she honestly believed she had misheard me.

"I-I'm," I swallowed hard and glanced at Edward. He smiled crookedly and that gave me enough confidence to sky dive if I had to. "I'm getting married to Edward."

Renee let her back slump against the back of her chair, and I could see the breath knock out of her slightly as her eyes widened. "Married," she whispered, like the word was new to her tongue, a foreign language that she was having difficultly with. I saw her blink rapidly, her eyes trained on the grain in the table. Quickly, she peeked up at Charlie. "You knew about this?"

Charlie nodded glumly. "I've been trying to tell Bella, that although I was mad at first," he paused, hunching his shoulders in the effort of sharing his feelings. "I believe she's old enough and smart enough to make her own decisions. And I give Bella and," he paused again, "_Edward_, my blessing." I couldn't remember the last time Charlie called Edward by his real name. In the rare, painful occasions where he actually had to acknowledge his presence, he would refer to Edward as _him, _or grunt a 'hey.'

I stared at Charlie for a long moment, shock coating my features thickly as I relished in his acceptance. He was giving us his blessing. Not only was he tolerating my marriage, but he was giving me his approval. My heart swelled in my chest and I bounded out of my chair – as hurriedly as I could on crutches – and flung my arms around Charlie, kissing his cheek roughly. "Thank you," I told him. After a moment of hesitation, he embraced me himself, his hand softly patting my back.

I could feel the hot tears roll down my cheek immediately and I quickly pulled back to wipe them away with the back of my hand. I watched as Edward extended his hand to Charlie. I could have choked when Charlie shook Edward's hand, a small smile on his lips. My life was complete, my life was perfect, my life was amazing… I suddenly remembered Renee.

I bit my lip and carefully, and sat back down in my seat, taking my precious time before facing Renee.

The uneasy silence was back and I fidgeted in my seat. Renee opened her mouth, long before any words came out, she wrinkled her forehead in concentration as if trying to form the words correctly.

"You really love him, don't you?" She sighed finally looking down at her hands. Hesitantly she peeked up from under her long lashes, a smile on her thin lips, but that was all I needed. I jumped up from my seat ignoring my crutches, soon discovering that that wasn't the best idea. My ankle throbbed from my weight and began to give out under me. I had hardly even begun to fall when Edward caught me, his cold hands catching my waist swiftly.

A soft breath of air whizzed from my mouth before I heard Charlie whistle and choke out, "Nice reflexes."

Edward chuckled and sat me back down in my chair, carefully leaning behind me to fetch my crutches. I smiled at him and immediately returned – with crutches this time – to hug Renee. I kissed her cheek and hugged her tight, my mouth near her ear I whispered, "Yes I do, very much."

She laughed softly and pulled me back to brush the hair out of my face, she measured my expression for a minuet before speaking. "This goes against everything I've ever told you Bella, and I really do wish you would wait, at least until after college, but," She took a deep breath before glancing back and forth between Edward and I. "I think you're smart enough to make the right decision. I give you my blessing."

The tears streamed down my face freely now, my delight over flowing my body, and I was sure that if Jasper were here he would be writhing on the floor from so much emotion.

"Well?" Renee asked exasperated.

I looked at her questionably.

She grinned, "Aren't you going to show me the ring!?"

I laughed and held out my left hand, flaring it, just like I had in the abandon hallway of the mall, except now it was different. Now I felt proud of the ring, worthy even to flare my hand, for the whole world to see. Renee's eyes bugged out and she ran her thumb over the precious jewel, surely wondering how she hadn't noticed it before. "It's beautiful, Bella," she gushed.

"It was Edward's mother's."

Renee glance at Edward and he nodded, smiling crookedly.

Renee hugged me one final time before running her forefinger beneath her lashes, "Look what you did, Bells, making me tear up," she scolded halfheartedly. I laughed and Renee stood up. "I should really get going, I promised Phil I'd leave early and make his it to his game Sunday night in Florida. I spent all morning all over Washington in a feeble attempt to find Phil's 'long lost' sister, as he requested. "

I raised an eyebrow.

"Don't ask," she sighed.

We all stood up and walked Renee to the door. Edward secretly kissed my cheek on the way there, I smiled and leaned against him as his arm wove around my shoulder. Renee opened the front door, letting the warm air circle the entrance way. "Thank you for having me for dinner Charlie," she said.

Charlie nodded, "Anytime, Renee."

"Thank you for inviting me Edward," she smiled up at Edward.

"Your welcome Mrs. Dwyer," he answered politely.

"Oh, call me Renee!" She insisted.

He smiled and I hugged his waist.

"I love you. See you soon, Bella," Renee winked. Soon after, she disappeared into the darkness.

I put the crutches in one hand, supporting myself on one foot as I leaned into Edward. He pulled me closer to his side. Charlie left quickly, either as a way to avoid seeing his daughter engage in any sort of physical contact, or to give us privacy, I wasn't really sure.

Edward kissed my forehead and I closed my eyes. A smile was etched on my lips that refused to go away. "You are amazing Isabella Marie Swan. Simply amazing."

He kissed my lips softly.

"I did it," I whispered after a while, meeting his warm golden eyes.

He grinned, silently picking me up off the ground, his hand grasped in my hair, pushing my lips harder against his own.

By the time he pulled away I was breathing heavily. "Charlie," I managed to whisper.

"I'll be back when he's asleep," Edward promised, smiling as my lip slipped into a pout.

He opened the front door, bending down to kiss my cheek. "Goodnight, Bella," he said a little louder. "Goodnight Chief Swan," He called down the hallway.

"Have a nice night, Edward."

I dropped my mouth, stunned as I heard Charlie's reply. It wasn't a grunt, or a quick wave, he actually said, _have a nice night, Edward. _I was suddenly relieved that I had these crutches to keep me from fainting.

Edward grinned, turned to leave and then turned back to kiss me once more. He pulled back, and then leaned forward again, pecking my lips a few more times before I stopped him, laughing quietly. "The sooner you leave the sooner I can convince Charlie what a long day it's been and he should really get his sleep."

Edward grinned, and leaned even closer, I was about to object, but instead of kissing me, he whispered against my lips. "Reason number nine why I love you. You're bravery, something I _know_ will never change, even when you're no longer human."

By the time my head regained it's position on my shoulders and I had taken a breath of the warm June air, clearing my head of Edward's intoxicating scent, he was gone. I was left staring out the door, at the hypnotizing stars, relishing in the tender twilight.


	13. Reason Ten

**A/N: I love, love, love, love my reviewers. **

**And I will say no more.**

**:) **

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I shuffled along with my crutches in a daze. I couldn't even feel my ankle anymore, all the feeling was in my head as it lulled on my shoulder. I couldn't wait to get upstairs. Upstairs…

Shoot. How am I suppose to get up stairs? I can't even get up stairs without crutches. I sighed at such a challenge and journeyed to the living room first to say goodnight to Charlie.

The glow of the TV. fell over the room, illuminating Charlie's face as I kissed his cheek. "Goodnight Dad. And… thanks," I whispered.

He shifted uncomfortably, obviously returning to the Charlie with a fear of expressing emotion. "Your welcome, Bella."

I began to hobble away. "Hey Bells, you gonna be able to make it up those stairs alright?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "I'll be fine."

I was _not _fine. I had begun my journey by taking small steps, raising one crutch onto the next step, attempting to shift my weight up and over to the next insanely creaky wooden stair. By the fifth step I had abandoned my crutches, leaning them against the railing as I crawled up the stairs on my knees. Muttering profanities under my breath, staring at the floor as I nudged my bedroom door with my head, I felt like a dog. I crawled into my room, carefully turning back around to nudge the door closed again. I huffed at how stupid I felt, for once in my life, _glad_ the Edward wouldn't be here until Charlie was snoring.

I launched into a faster crawl towards my bed, surprised at how exhausted I felt, wanting nothing more to enfold myself beneath the warm covers. Interrupting my little fantasy I heard a snort, almost a strangled spurt of laughter. I snapped my head upwards, using the bright moon as a light as I froze in my tracks.

"Bella?" Edward laid draped gracefully across my bed, his lips pressed together hard, his laughter breaking through his nose as snorts.

The familiar red blush flooded my cheeks in breakneck speed. "What are you doing here?" I hissed, though it came out sounding choked and horrified.

In a heartbeat, Edward's face was centimeters from mine, his cool breath fanning across my lips and my cheeks. It took me a few moments to realize that he was on his hands and knees as well. I dropped my head in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry. You're very tempting you know. It's hard to stay away for long," he murmured as he skimmed my forehead with his lips. My thoughts became jumbled and my arms shook gently, threatening to diminish beneath my weight. "Now why are you crawling on your hands and knees, love?"

"I couldn't get up the stairs," I mumbled.

He chuckled and lifted me up, scooping me into his stone arms. He sat on the edge of my bed, cradling me as if I were a baby.

I felt the crimson blush on my cheeks fade away as I became absorbed in his intense stare. He carefully began outlining my lips with his forefinger, my lips parted slightly beneath his touch, breathing in his wonderful scent, I closed my eyes in contentment. "Bella," he murmured thoughtfully. I opened my eyes, drowning immediately back into his golden gaze. "Do you mind if I try something?" His face crinkled as if he was suddenly regretted asking me. I nodded, too lost to ask what he was planning to do.

Before I couldn't say anymore, his lips were against mine. They felt like velvet, silky and soft beneath my own. His next action took me by surprise. Very, slowly and hesitantly I felt his tongue, smooth and cold as ice, glide softly against my bottom lip. I felt my body erupt into a battle of shivers, craning my neck to keep my lips attached to his. I reached my hand up to knot my fingers not-so-gently into his soft bronze hair.

Drawing his tongue back into his mouth, his lips stopped moving beneath mine and he reached behind his head to detangle my fingers. When he pulled back all the way, I could see the smile hidden beneath his lips as he pressed them together. "Interesting…" he murmured, his eyes catching the moonlight, the honeyed topaz color melting against the dark background of my bedroom.

"Interesting?" I was still gasping for air slightly and my word came out shaky and broken.

He chuckled and bent down to whisper in my ear, "Very interesting." He kissed my ear lobe and continued a painstakingly slow trail of kisses down the side of my face.

"Human moment, please?" I gasped after a few minutes, unsure of how long I could continue to melt in his arms before I seeped through the floor.

"Of course," he whispered. But before letting me wiggle out of his grasp, he surprised me by capturing my lips with his own, this time only briefly, his cold tongue traced my bottom lip again, this time so quickly I barely remembered the feeling.

He pulled away and leaned back down towards my ear. "Come back soon."

Before I could concentrate enough to move my arms or legs, I was sitting on the edge of the bed and Edward was handing me my crutches. I blushed, remembering the grand entrance I had made before.

"You're cute when you crawl," he chuckled. "Don't be embarrassed."

"That better not be of your thirteen reasons," I muttered, hastily shoving a crutch beneath each arm before I went to my dresser for my pajamas.

He was there before me and handed me the folded pair of Victoria Secret silk pajamas Renee had sent me. "It can be if you allow me to extend it to fourteen reasons," he grinned.

I tried to hide my smile, swallowing what I was really thinking, _if those reasons make him kiss me like that, I may never let him stop. _"Absolutely not. Thirteen reasons was thirteen reasons too many to begin with. You don't have to prove anything to me, especially your love." His face fell at something I said.

A familiar little worry line developed sharply in his granite forehead, though he seemed to be unaware of it. He stepped forward, trailing his fingers along my jaw, and collarbone. "But I do," he whispered, deflated. "Because you still doubt me." He whispered the last part so softly I had to strain to hear it.

"What are you talking about?" I asked through my teeth. I was getting frustrated, how could I possibly doubt him? Everything he did made me melt into a blush driven, erratic heart beating, puddle.

"It happens when you sleep. I hear you whisper words like 'don't leave me,' and 'Edward don't go.'" The word "go" came out in a strangled breath as he tried to contain himself.

"I can't control what I say when I sleep," I argued.

"And other people can't control what they think, yet I hear it all the same." He carefully laced his fingers with mine and brought my hand up with his to skim my cheek. "It happens when I leave to hunt, Bella. I leave the house and I can hear your heartbeat quicken, hear it from a mile away, throbbing as if it's in pain. It takes every ounce of common sense in me not turn around and soothe you, begging your heart to keep itself in your chest. I fear one day it will beat so hard it will stop all together." By now his lips were just below my collarbone, tracing a circle around where my heart was. The gesture itself made my heart contract hugely, and he pulled away. "And that's why I'm proving it to you, Bella. We're getting married and I won't let you do it if you have doubts."

I stared at him a while before rolling my eyes. He balked at the gesture. "Edward you worry too much. My heart will be fine, I'm pretty sure it's locked in their pretty tight," I patted my chest lightly. "And as for doubts, I never _doubt _you Edward. When you're away I get… anxious. And as for the dreams, well more like _the _dream. It's not you leaving… exactly."

He raised an eyebrow. "Then what is it… exactly?" I sighed, scolding myself for realizing my mistake. Now I would be forced to tell him about my reoccurring dream with James in my way as I descended down the aisle. Any way I explained it he would find a way to blame himself.

"Human moment first," I chimed, taking the pajamas from his hand, shoving them between my arm and the crutch, hobbling back towards the bathroom. I needed time to think. He wasn't lying when he said I sometimes worried that he wouldn't return, and when he left to hunt my heart seemed to race in my chest, as if it wanted to jump out and follow him. That was all true, but that didn't mean I _doubted _him.

I doubted many things. Like not being good enough for him, or pretty enough, or interesting enough. I doubted that he loves me more then I love him. But I trust him with my heart. And as of now and forever, that trust is written perpetually in stone.

I spent my human moment deciding ways to explain to Edward my dream. Just thinking his name now made me lick my lips unintentionally, shivering in pleasure when I realized his scent and taste still lingered. Just the memory alone distracted me from what I should be worrying about, and soon I was hobbling back into my room with no game plan.

Edward laid across my bed, his arms behind his head as he closed his eyes in concentration. I carefully leaned my crutches against the nightstand and crawled onto the bed, carefully placing my head beneath his arm. He wrapped that arm around my shoulder in response and pulled me closer to his side. I smiled and began tracing my finger along the riffs in his shirt.

He leaned closer, taking in the scent of my wet hair. The scent seemed to visibly calm him and I could see his features relax, and he melted beside me, flipping onto his side so that we were facing one another.

"You never told me why I was brave," I reminded him suddenly, not wanting to go back to the previous conversation. He grinned and gently swept the loose hair from my face.

"You don't know?"

"Not really," I admitted. "Renee always said I was a coward. I would never go on the roller coasters with her at theme parks," I blushed at the confession.

Edward chuckled. "You may not be able to go on the roller coaster, but what you _do _do, is put your life in danger everyday."

I sighed heavily, and he grimaced. "Fine," he amended, realizing I would just argue with what he was just about to say. "But you also told Renee you were getting married to a vampire today."

"That's not exactly bravery," I scoffed looking away from his face. "People do it everyday. Minus the vampire part," I added quickly. "And obviously I didn't tell her that."

"It's not the fact that people do it everyday. It's the fact that you had a fear, and you overcame it. That's bravery, Bella."

I bit my lip for a moment, realizing that I had not heard a word he had just said, I had been too focused on the way his lips moved when he talked. "You know Edward, I think we should go back to the reason number five, I'm not so sure I understood it completely," I smiled straining my neck to reach his icy skin.

"And that would be?" He grinned, quizzing me to see if I remembered.

Embarrassingly enough, I blushed. "My body.." I shook my head trying to regain the confidence and poise I had just a moment ago. "And I think you should try the thing you tried before, I'm a human, I forgot things quickly," I smirked.

He laughed, "We were talking about your bravery, Bella."

I freed my hand from his and trailed it down the side of his cheek. "I can show you bravery."

He smiled smugly as I tried to wiggle out from his grasp. "Our wedding is three weeks away, can you not control yourself Miss. Swan?"

I stiffened only slightly at the three week reminder. Where had the days gone? I put that aside, deciding that it would be useless to worry about now, Alice probably had everything in order. Instead I began trailing my fingers down the line of buttons on Edward's shirt. "I liked it better when you called me Mrs. Soon-to-be-Cullen."

He smiled and behind my back, raised the bottom of my t-shirt slightly, running his cold fingers along the warm bare skin. "Alright, Mrs. Soon-to-be-Cullen. Can you not contain your obvious enthusiasm?"

I was already unbuttoning his shirt, trailing my lips down an icy trail on his bare chest. "Apparently not," I whispered.

As my lips hovered just above his bellybutton he carefully pulled me back up towards his face by the top of my arms. "Bella," he warned, serious now.

"Why are you the only one that's allowed to have fun?" I pouted.

The smile broke across his face before he could stop it, but shuffled it away quickly. "You never explained your dream to me, Bella. Explain, and then I'll let you have your _fun_."

My expression slipped into a deep frown. He wasn't being fair. Anything I told him wouldn't be good enough, and it wasn't like I could control what I dreamt about.

"I screamed _Edward don't go_, because I was walking down the aisle and James appeared and I couldn't find you." I said it really quickly already squirming up to meet his lips. Apparently the shock over took him and his arms turned to spaghetti. I took advantage of his moment of weakness and kissed his lips, forming my body against his in desperate hope that it would distract him from my dream.

At first he remained motionless, his lips unresponsive beneath my own. I decided that now would be a good time to give him a taste of his own medicine. Very carefully, making sure I didn't surprise him completely, I parted my lips and let my tongue trace the shape of his lower lip. If possible his lips became even more unresponsive for a moment. But as soon as I felt his cold hand press against the small of my back, pulling me closer, I knew I had him.

Our lips flowed together smoothly, almost liquid like, molding together perfectly. Much too soon – as always – Edward pulled away, quickly moving his lips to my ear. He waited for my labored breathing to slow before he spoke. "_That _was utterly unfair."

I swallowed hard, trying to regain the confidence that seemed to dominate in me tonight. "How so?"

"Well," he contemplated, "You didn't let me state my reason."

"I didn't know you were going to."

"I wasn't," he grinned.

I frowned in confusion.

He laughed and outlined my lips with his forefinger. "You're absurdly kissable. It should be a crime."

He pressed his lips to mine softly and pulled away. "The warmth," he marveled softly.

I smiled. "So that's the tenth reason why you love me? My… lips?"

"Yes. Reason number ten why I love you, your ridculous kissable nature." He smiled wickedly. "And your lips aren't the only thing that's kissable."

And with that he brought his lips to trail along my collar bone, finding their way up my shoulder and to my neck. They stopped on the part of my neck that throbbed rapidly from my racing pulse. He closed his eyes and breathed in the scent. The whole ordeal making my head spin. It was a good thing I was already lying down. He pulled away, hesitating to kiss the throbbing skin once more, before smiling and pulling back, returning to trace to shape of my lips.

"I think I like this less boundary thing," I whispered pulling his hand into mine, running my fingertips over the bluish lines in his wrist. "But I also liked the part where _I _was in charge of the kissing."

Before I could say another word, Edwards body was hovering over mine, his lips crashing into mine. My mind was in a blender and I didn't even realize that he was just doing this to prove that I _did_ like when he was in charge. I liked it very much.

He pulled away within ten seconds, gawking my expression and grinning. Finally, he rolled back over to his side, falling onto his back and titling his head to look at me. "You should sleep now, Bella. I can't be intruding on your human needs."

"I have other human needs," I smiled, in the processes of rolling onto his chest. He caught me before I got anywhere and picked me up swiftly so that my back was pressed against his chest and his legs curled neatly behind mine. His arms were around me, and It was a hopeless battle but I still struggled against his inhuman strength.

He laughed at my attempts, finally calming me by running his lips along the back of my neck, gently, barely grazing the warm skin. Very sneakily, he began humming, low at first and then raising into a crescendo just loud enough for my feeble human ears to pick up. It was the melody to the wedding march. _Here comes the bride, all dressed in white._

He would chuckle every few seconds as the song made me squirm. The thought of the wedding alone, haunting my mind. Suddenly he froze, as if remembering something.

"James is dead, Bella," he whispered after a long moment. "And no one and _nothing _is going to touch you. If they do it will be over my dead body and we both know that's not very likely."

My eyes widened and my breath caught in my throat at the casual pretense of his words.

"I'm sorry," he whispered quickly, realizing what he had done. "I worded that incorrectly. All I meant was that I'm right here, forever Bella."

"That's exactly where I want you," I murmured, snuggling closer into his granite chest. The silence engulfed us and I think he was afraid that the wedding march would frighten me, or provoke the nightmares that lulled inside of me head.

I began to fill the silence with my own pitiful humming. At first it was nothing, just a drone of hums coming from deep inside of my throat. Finally it turned into something, something familiar and yet foreign at the same time. It came to me a guilt, like I was struck by lighting. It was song I had began playing on the piano the other day. I hummed it with more confidence now, the song pulsating through my body, and vibrating through my chest like an anthem, like a … And that was it. I looked back at Edward, his eyes were closed, and a grin was playing on his face. He must have felt my stare and peeled open his eyelids to reveal his ocher eyes. The angel was alive.

And that was the night I would always remember, because a melody was created, one I would never forget. It was the night that _Edward's _lullaby was born.


	14. Reason Eleven

**Back from Washington D.C.! Sorry for the long wait! Anyway, it was a long time since I had written when I wrote this chapter so forgive me if it's a little unorganized, I'm trying desperately to get back on track with everything. It took me three trys writing this, each try I came up with a completely different scenario but I think I liked this one best. I hope you do too :) Thanks for your super support and reviews! Hope you enjoy :) **

**P.S. If you haven't checked out my new story "From Where I'm Standing" I ask that you check it out it your spare time. I adore feedback :) Thanks!**

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Edward's lullaby was the theme song to my life for the next two weeks – though I never did tell him that I thought of it as his lullaby. It soon became my little secret. I would hum it at night, right after he hummed mine. I rarely got through it without my mind plummeting into dreamland.

The wedding was fast approaching and each day seemed to add a weight to the center of my chest. Soon I had three days left, and I felt like I couldn't breath.

"Breathe Bella," Edward would demand. This happened every time one of our usually comfortable silences became uneasy with my constant worries. The part that mystified me the most was the fact that I didn't even know what I was worried about. Alice had gone over the plans with me again and again, describing even the most negligible details so that no unneeded surprises would come my way.

My mind seemed to reason that everything would go smoothly, but my body seemed to erupt at the very thought. The thought of the wedding itself would play through my mind and I would feel the throbbing pain of my ankle shoot threw my body like an electric shock, surely reminding me that the cast on it, and the crutches would be accompanying me in my promenade down the aisle. Lovely.

My thoughts would then penetrate into the part of my mind that contemplated my wedding night. These thoughts made me feel sensations in a completely different place. The thought of my wedding night was one that made my skin feel like it was boiling, and around Edward I usually fumbled to hide my thoughts. Though we both knew he couldn't hear them, I didn't want to take any chances.

From there, my slowly cooling mind would succumb into the idea of my change. Somehow, those thoughts were the most comforting. The idea of Edward being the one to change me, to know that his teeth and more importantly his strength and his love, led me to my new eternal life, was ridiculously soothing. The idea that Edward and I could be bound even further made me want to make him change me right away. Though, I could see that he thought of marriage in the same terms. A human bondage rather then a vampire one.

These thoughts battled in my head all through breakfast and during my time at the Cullen's house. The routine went on as Alice held up various wedding items and I would just nod. The one thing that did catch my eye however, was the sheer blue lingerie Alice held up, her face impassive as she expected me to just nod rhythmically.

"Alice," I hissed, glancing out of the corner of my eye to the living room where Edward and Jasper were involved in video games.

"Oh, you'll thank me later," she chimed, waving her hand carelessly in the air as she threw the lingerie in the "keep" pile.

I felt my teeth clench together and pressed closed my lips. Jasper must have clued Edward into my less then friendly feelings towards his wife because Edward was suddenly at my side, an icy hand latched around my waist and his thumb made small circles around my hip.

His lips were immediately at my ear. "Are you ready for your surprise?"

I watched Alice leave the room grinning before I swiveled in my chair to face him. "What surprise?"

"My surprise to you." Of course he wasn't going to tell me what it was. I grimaced and he smiled angelically. It was moot point to try and explain to him that I didn't like surprises, because he knew fully well. Instead I stood up and opened my hand expectantly.

The sides of his lips twitched downward and his head tilted slightly to the side. I opened my hand wider and smiled tightly.

"Bella, what are you doing?"

"Waiting for you to give me the keys."

Edward frowned, and then quickly narrowed his eyes. "Why would I do that?"

"Because that's the only way I'm letting you give me this surprise. And because there is no way I'm being blind folded again."

Edward seemed to be considering his options as he picked me up and carried me to the Volvo. I was pretty sure I won though because there were three lines engraved in his granite forehead. He set me down about five feet from the passenger door and looked warily over my shoulder at his Volvo as he slowly took the keys out of his pocket.

I ignored his distrustful attitude and swung my crutches ahead of me towards the drivers side. Edward was there before me and opened the door. I held my head up high, maybe if I seemed more confident he would trust me. What actually happened, was enough to make him order me to lay down in the backseat.

My high held head, was a bit too high held and I wobbled slightly as my forehead came in contact with the top of his car as I attempted to hop in the seat.

I bit down hard on my lip, begging myself to ignore the pain.

"Bella, are you alright?" Edward's anxious voice sounded close to my ear and I soon realized my eyes were closed. I opened them to find my throbbing forehead laying gently on Edward's cool chest. I quickly pulled back my head, disregarding the fact that the scenery was spinning.

"I'm fine," I whispered, swiftly slipping back into the seat, my cheeks burning red as I tried to focus enough to get the key into the ignition. I was hoping he would just forget that that just happened.

Edward ghosted himself into the passenger seat quickly caught my trembling hand in his. He reached his other hand up to gently outline the bruise that I was sure would soon appear. He grimaced and looked back and forth between my casted ankle and my bruised forehead. I ignored him and shoved the key into the ignition, using my good foot to push down on the gas as I maneuvered down the long driveway

"I haven't been doing a very good job of keeping you safe," he whispered, his already dark eyes flickering a shade closer to ebony.

"Edward, keeping me _completely_ safe is impossible, even for you," I sighed.

He seemed to let that sink in for a moment or two. "I bet I could," he whispered finally, his voice suggesting he was considering some kind of challenge. "I bet I could keep you perfectly safe for these next three days. Not a scratch, bump or bruise."

"For three entire days?" I laughed. Was he crazy? My record was like five minuets.

"Yes," he nodded, "No pain whatsoever, for three entire days." He pointed to where I should turn on the road and I slowly shook my head.

"Good luck with that," I muttered. It was true that my fatal incidents had become almost non-existent with Edward around, but he couldn't save me from my everyday occurrences, like stubbed toes and accidentally biting my tongue. I laughed at the last one. Let's see him save me from that one.

Edward directed me towards my surprise and I felt more confused by the minuet. My face soon become rock solid as I saw what was looming over the horizon, the horizon I was currently driving towards. As my mouth feel, Edward's seemed to rise. It didn't seem like he was able to tear his gaze away from my frightened face. I pulled into the parking space swiftly and folded my arms across my chest, preparing to throw a fit, but before I could even protest, Edward was at my door, carefully lifting my from the seat.

Edward had brought me to a carnival. My hair flew like hungry flames around my face as the roller coaster above our head glided across it's rusting tracks.

"Why are we here?" I asked him, biting my lip, hopelessly wishing it was just to pick up some cotton candy.

He peeked down at my face as he carried me through the throng of people waiting in lines that all crashed in the middle of the big park. "You'll see."

I watched warily as Edward grinned, his eyes trained ahead as the sounds of laughter and screams filled my ears. I never did like carnivals.

I looked ahead, just in time to notice Edward carrying my towards the one ride that had no line and no person operating it. The Ferris wheel.

"Um, Edward?" I squeaked nervously, adjusting the crutches that I clutched in my hands. "I don't think that ride's open."

Edward smiled and nodded his head forward, indicating that I should look again. I turned my head, and this time, standing at the little gray operating box, was none other then Emmett. He grinned as we stopped in front of him.

"Emmett, you don't work at the carnival." I glanced quickly between Edward and Emmett, both with devilish grins on their pale faces.

"I do now," he laughed, taking out a little plastic card. I looked at it closer, and of course, it was a picture of Emmett indicating his license to operate carnival rides.

I didn't even have the time to effectively glare at either one of them because sooner then I thought possible, Edward was placing me in the little bench seat of the round Ferris wheel car. He sat down beside me and pulled up the metal seat bar, shaking it – most definitely gently for him – probably to make sure it met my safety needs. He gave the thumbs up to Emmett and soon the ride trembled to life, and the car was beginning it's journey, backwards and then upward.

The second the ride started, however, I gasped and buried my face against Edward's upper arm.

"Bella?" He chuckled lightly. "What's wrong."

"Did I ever mention I'm afraid of heights?"

I could feel him stiffen beneath me and it took me a moment to realize where his train of thought must have drifted. My cliff diving episode.

"Okay, heights aren't my real fear, it's more carnival rides all together."

I heard his musical chuckle close to my ear. "Carnival rides aren't immensely horrible, are they?" His lips traveled from my ear to my shoulder as he kissed his way back up. "You can open your eyes now, Bella."

It took me a few moments before I peeked open one eye cautiously. The sight that met my eyes made me open my peeking eye wider, and loosen my grip of death on his arm. He didn't stop kissing me, his lips making tender trails across my cheek and down my neck, but he did seem to realize my discovery as his lips spread thinly into a smile against my skin. It was only then that I realized the ride had stopped, leaving us at the highest point of the large spinning ride.

"It's beautiful," I gushed, taking in the scene before me. The grassy land of Forks never seemed more stunning. The dark emerald hills seemed to roll on forever beneath the large orange sun that was just begging to disappear behind them. The sky was dark enough so that Edward's skin remained un-sparkling, but the brilliant clouds never seemed brighter. They floated across the sky, the bottom tips seemed to be licked by a pinkish glow, the tops shinning radiantly against their shadowy background.

"Just like you," Edward chuckled lightly, extending his trail of kisses towards my lips. I took a deep breath before he finally kissed me, knowing that when he did, I would loose all human abilities. If there was ever a moment where I didn't feel human, it was when I was kissing him. It was almost as if the second his icy lips met mine, everything in the background melted away, and I was no longer labeled. No longer human, or vampire, or danger magnet. I was Edward's fiancé, and he was my life, and that's all I needed.

Edward pulled away, even quicker then he normally did. He smiled and laced me fingers between his own. He glanced at me with his dark eyes, even while they were dead black and still against their white backdrop, they appeared soft yet intense, penetrating against me.

"Eleventh reason why I love you," He began. I felt my heart expand, the feeling unfamiliar as he had not given me a reason for a whole two weeks. I had began to worry that he ran out of reasons. " Your gorgeous heart beat." He smiled and glanced down at his hands as his finger traced the shape of a heart on the left side of my chest. "It's the loveliest sound in the world you know, next to your voice and your laugh. " He smiled but then his lips slipped into a frown. "And to know that I'm taking the beautiful sound of your heart from the world, from myself," he murmured, still refusing to meet my eyes. "Makes me feel selfish and masochistic, all at the same time." He lowered his head and rested his ear gently against my chest, my heart throbbing beneath it, stuttering at his closeness.

We sat there for a while, letting my heart calm down, and the moment sink in. Finally I began to ran my fingers gently through his bronze hair, feeling the soft texture between my fingers. "I wrote you a lullaby you know," I whispered finally. "Well not wrote it, as much as hum it to myself." I blushed slightly and could feel my heart speed up at the confession.

He straightened to peer curiously into my eyes.

"It's that song I hum every night, after you hum my lullaby. I thought that it was only fair, seeing as you wrote one for me, I should make one for you." I stopped blabbering long enough to take a deep breath and let my brain register his expression. He was fighting a smile as he leaned closer.

"Hum it for me?" He asked quietly. I wasn't sure if I was seeing things, but I was pretty sure his eyes faded into a shade farther from their current ebony.

I began to hum his lullaby, my voice trembling at first, but then becoming soft musical in light air of the night. He leaned his head back against my chest, the song vibrating through me and I knew he could feel the vibrations against my skin. As soon as it ended I began again, never wanting the moment to end.

Edward lifted his head from it's position against my chest and smiled. Before I knew it, his lips were against mine, the song lingering on my lips as my body shivered causing me to swallow the hums and focus on kissing him. He pulled away for a moment and smiled at me with his eyes. "Thank you," he whispered. I think he was halfway through saying "I love you," when my lips attracted right back to his, and like two magnets, we came together under the soft glow of the oncoming twilight.


	15. Reason Twelve

**Aww it's almost over everybody! One more reason to go :) I regret to inform you that the last reason may take a while... (Cowards behind laptop screen) I really want to get the ending right so I'm going to spend the weekend reading over the whole story, making sure I tie all the ends and explain everything correctly. Now that I think about it, that last chapter's going to mighty long. I hope it's worth the wait though, I don't want everybody to get so into the story and then be disappointed by the end! So this really benefits you all in the long run :) Thank you for all your reviews! I'm in shock at how many there is! I have the whole ending planned out and I don't think you realize how exicted I am to write it! I can't wait! :) **

**Enjoy! :)**

My somehow advanced beauty in the rain. My white rose in a sea of red. My ability to give non-living creatures heart attacks. My blush. My body. My sleep talking. My clumsiness. My warm skin. My bravery. My kissable nature. My heartbeat. All of these things had been swimming in my mind every since he purposed the idea of my thirteen reasons. I ran over each one thoroughly, too embarrassed to admit that I was trying to figure out what reason he could possibly come up with next.

I was aware that he had two reasons left, and two days until the wedding. I was pretty sure I could predict the last reason because it sat tenderly on the third finger of my left hand. Edward had made it quite clear several times that it was in fact something that he cherished, seeing me with his mother's ring. It was almost like I knew exactly what he was going to say, just because when he looked at me, I felt like I knew exactly what he was feeling. And that feeling was bound to be his grand finale.

What puzzled me was what he was planning to use as a twelfth reason. I tired not to dwell upon it, fearing that if I thought about it too hard I would realize that there was no possible twelfth reason. And if I realized it, eventually Edward would too. The thought of him running out of reasons scared me beyond believe.

A few times I had tried to reverse the reasons, and think of thirteen reasons why I loved him. Just the thought of laying out _just _thirteen reasons made my head spin. I could probably think of one-thousand, just off the top of my head. Picking just thirteen felt like a punishment. His topaz eyes. His musical voice. His beautiful bronze hair. His selflessness. His icy breath. And the list kept going on. It scared me to realize that my list for him never ended, and his for me may stop at eleven.

I sighed out loud as the realization flipped over and over in my head like a fish out of water. It was the morning after my trip to the carnival and I was propped against the headboard of Edward's bed. It was yet another sleepover with _Alice_ that had gotten past the approval of Charlie.

Edward was downstairs making me breakfast. The breakfast in bed ordeal was all part of the keep-Bella-completely-and-utterly-safe-for-three-entire-days. This little challenge he had going with himself was getting out of hand.

I looked around at the mountain of pillows he had lined all around me and along the floor around the bed. I sighed louder and gave an extra shove against the padded headboard. Just as I expected, Edward was immediately standing right in front of me, a spatula in his left hand as he gently turned me around. After he was positive my skin had not been scratched, bruised or bumped, he smiled satisfied but then grimaced as he noticed my expression.

"Bella, it's utterly unfair to me if you intentionally hurt yourself."

"Then maybe you should stop trying to save me from every little thing."

His upset expression deepened. "Is it a crime to try and keep you safe?"

"No. The keeping me safe part is fine, it's the over reaction part that bugs me," I muttered darkly.

"Over reaction?" He asked furrowing his brow.

I opened my hand to indicate the valley of feather pillows that surrounded me, and then pointed blankly to the shiny red helmet on my head. He grinned, though I could tell he was trying not too.

"What's wrong with the helmet?" He asked innocently. I folded my arms across my chest and glared at him. He chuckled and reached down to kiss the top of my helmet. "Fine you can take the helmet off, just promise me you'll be… prudent?" He smiled sheepishly and kissed my lips quickly before disappearing from the room, leaving a ghostly chuckle to echo in my ears.

I muttered profanities as I unbuckled the helmet and threw it at the floor, watching as it bounced across the pillows. I fell back against the headboard and blew the hair out of my face.

Suddenly the thought of the wedding came to mind the way it usually did, fast and knocking the breath out of me. I could feel my forehead glaze over in that familiar cold sweat and my hands begin to wring together uneasily. I glanced over at the window, wondering how quiet I would have to be to make it there without alerting Edward. I figured it was worth whatever trouble I would get into and I catapulted out of the bed towards the window -- well, hopped due to the cast. After marveling at the fact that I made it there without tripping, I gently laid my forehead against the cool glass and slumped onto my knees.

Why was this happening? This wasn't like me. I was never the kind of person who got nervous, or got butterflies in their stomach. Why now?

I almost screamed when I turned to lean the side of my face against the glass and Edward's black eyes appeared inches from my own. His hands then appeared on the side of my face, probably keeping my head from coming in contact with the glass.

He glanced between me and the icy glass and his lips twitched up into a grin. "Miss me?"

I blushed and dropped my eyes. "I got… hot." I swallowed hard and could feel the second coat of blush creep up my neck.

Edward pulled me against his chest before he began to laugh. I melted against his shaking form as my boiling skin came in contact with his iciness.

Finally he whispered against my ear, "Breakfast time for the humorous little human." He picked me up off the ground and carried me to the bed. He put me back in my spot against the headboard and placed a little table over my legs.

I raised an eyebrow and he smiled. "After a hundred years of garage sales, you tend to pick up some things that are… not of necessity."

I rolled my eyes and smiled as he kissed my cheek slowly. After he pulled away he quickly placed a plate of food on the little table. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, the little plate was piled with steaming food. My eyes widened. "Edward!"

"What? Do you not like it those? I can make you something different. I –"

"No, it's not that" I laughed interrupting him. "I can't eat all of this! Do you want be to be able to fit in my wedding dress?"

Even at the slightest implication of the wedding his eyes grew lighter as they glistened in the bright light of the morning sun. "You don't have to eat all of it, Bella." He glanced at the clock across the room. "But you do have to eat some of it if you want you're twelfth reason."

I had just been taking a sip of water when my eyes bugged out slightly and I almost choked. "You have a twelfth reason?"

He frowned, bemused. "Of course I do. I have about a million actually," he laughed lightly reaching forward to take a piece of my hair between his fingers.

I thoughtfully outlined the rim of my glass for a moment before looking up."Why thirteen?" I wondered aloud. "Isn't thirteen an unlucky number?"

Edward dropped his head a bit and then peered up at me sheepishly through his black lashes. "Don't take this the wrong way Bella, but you don't seem to be the best example of a _lucky _person." He frowned at the end and stared intently at the pieces of my hair he had twisted lightly around his finger.

As quickly as my humans reactions would allow, I brought my hands to either side of his face and leaned forward. "It's quite the opposite actually," I smiled. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the misconception that I was in fact the _luckiest _girl in the world."

Edward smiled crookedly and reached forward to brush the hair out of my face. "You should eat now, Bella."

I grimaced and reached forward to trace the dark gray circles below his eyes. "You should too."

"I'm going to. Right before the wedding. And then Jasper and Emmett are going to take me on a quick hunt around the area right after the reception." He suddenly turned his dark eyes towards my plate of food.

"I'm eating, I'm eating," I muttered, reluctantly reaching for my fork.

Breakfast was perfect. Then again, Edward made it so it was no surprise.

After I was done, and Edward had carried my plate to the kitchen, he came back and leaned against the headboard with me, wrapping his arms around my body so that I fit perfectly against his hard chest.

We stayed like that for a minutes. Eventually he began kissing his way from my shoulder to my ear. I groaned, knowing what he was going to say next.

Edward chuckled and traced the shape of my ear with his fingertip. "I'm reluctant to leave this position too love, but I really would like to give you a twelfth reason. And besides," he whispered leaning closer. "We do in fact have an eternity."

I grinned and picked his hand up to kiss it, hiding my smile as I traced the thin lines embedded in his palm.

* * *

... ... ... ... ... ... ...

We made it to the top of the mountain by noon. I still couldn't really remember how in the world Edward made me agree to it, but I had an idea. I needed to add over-persuasive kissing to Edward's list of cheating techniques.

At first he had contemplated whether or not it was a safe enough idea anymore, considering the little bet he had going with himself. After about a human heart beat – which I'm sure is pretty long for a vampire – he had decided that he was quite capable of watching after the accident prone human. Though, the hike up the mountain meant that my feet were to never touch the ground, it made it a lot easier for him as my ankle was still captured in the plaster of my cast. He had an excuse.

He carried me straight towards our destination, slowly, at a human pace as we neared. The second my eyes met the small green tent I looked quickly between it and Edward before widening my eyes in realization. "We're camping?"

Edward smiled and stepped into the clearing around the tent. I momentarily lost my train of thought as his skin transformed into crystals. I ran my hand tenderly down the side of his cheek, resting it on his neck. His cold hand reached up to cover mine. "It's our last night together before the wedding," he reminded me, his lips twitching downward, yet only for a moment. "So I decided we needed the whole afternoon and evening together." He swiftly unzipped the tent and climbed in, still carrying me on his back.

He had everything set up. The floor of the tent was unseen beneath all of the pillows and blankets he had pilled up so high. "Edward," I accused lightly, too grateful to even give the effort of being angry.

"I don't want you getting cold," he smiled, gently pushing my shoulder so that I feel against the sea of fluff. I laughed and circled my arms around his neck as he hovered over me. He smiled and carefully brushed a piece of hair off my cheek. "I want you to tell me everything, Bella," he said, suddenly serious.

"What?"

"I want to know everything. Every minor detail of your human life." He hesitated and searched my eyes for a moment. "I know you won't remember it… soon. And I want to be able to tell you about it. Maybe help you remember something's…" he frowned.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen," I gasped quietly. "You think I won't remember you?"

Edward lowered his head for a moment before rolling sideways from his hovering position to stare at the ceiling. The silence pierced through my ears as he prolonged his answer, narrowing his eyes as if the answer was written up there.

"I will remember you. Won't I?" I asked. A nervous shiver coursed through my veins and I sat up with a jolt. I turned back to look at Edward. He was propped up on his forearms, staring at me with a torn expression.

"Alice assures me you will, but I'm not as convinced." He broke through his words as if he had picked each syllable carefully.

"Why not?" I choked.

"I've seen many changes, Bella. Many new vampires have little knowledge of their human life, and if they do, they can only remember small details. It's almost like you have a novel, and someone rips all the pages out, leaving a few shreds in it's place."

I swallowed hard. I always knew that I would probably forget my memories growing up with Renee and summer's with Charlie, but I knew I could live without those. What would I do without my memories of Edward?

"You'll tell me about them, won't you?" I begged, a desperate tone in my voice. "About our times together. You'll remind me. Right?"

Before I could comprehend what had happened I was against Edward's chest, and his large hand was cupped around the back of my head, gently smoothing down my hair. "Of course I will by beautiful, Bella," he murmured. He leaned closer and whispered in my ear soothingly. "I'll tell you everything. About the first time I saw you." I stiffened beneath his embrace and he leaned closer letting his cool breath travel from my ear, fanning across my cheek. "Our first kiss." I could my face flush and hid in deeper in the crook of his arm. "The time you tried to seduce me!" he laughed, running his cold finger across my burning cheek. "I'll tell you what a beautiful human you were, and how you could always make me laugh." His voice was smooth like melting butter and I could feel myself mold against his embrace as his tender words rolled gently across my skin. "I'll tell you how you were, we still be, and will always be, the most important thing in my universe. I'll tell you how your smell never failed to leave me breathless. I'll remind you how brave you are, and beautiful."

I laughed quietly.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"You already said beautiful," I blushed and took his hand away from my face so that I could trace along the thin lines in his palm where I could still see the diamonds in his skin as the afternoon sun shone through the fabric of the tent.

He chuckled quietly and then, somehow leaned even closer, his lips brushing against my earlobe, making me shiver in his arms. He smiled at my reaction and whispered, almost incoherently, "Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. My beautiful, beautiful, Bella," he murmured it like a song.

I turned my head quickly and kissed him. I smiled beneath the kiss as I caught him off guard. He smiled too and soon we were no longer kissing as much as smiling against each other's lips. I pulled away and he laughed.

"And I'll tell you about the way you never failed to surprise me. And the adorable why you bite your lip when you were nervous."

I gently unclamped my teeth from my bottom lip and blushed.

"And I'll tell you the thirteen reasons why I love you, plus a million more, considering we have an eternity together," he grinned.

I smiled and began idly playing with the collar of his shirt. "It would help if you told me the thirteen reasons before the change," I hinted. "It's no use reminding me if you never told me in the first place."

Edward smirked. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. You don't get the thirteenth reason yet. I'm saving it for later."

I sighed. "When's later? Alice has me scheduled for unnecessary pampering all tomorrow and she won't let you come spend the night before the wedding," I felt my lip slip into a pout and I let go of his collar to meet his eyes.

His dark eyes were shinning. "Soon you're not going to like the reasons."

"Why?"

"You're going to lose." He beamed.

I felt my brow furrow in confusion.

"I know I love you more than you love me. I'm going to prove myself right, in which case you loose."

I shook my head and was about to say something when he interrupted me.

"So I can get on my road to winning, would you mind if I told you the twelfth reason right now?" He smirked and leaned closer. Very soon he was so close that I felt myself fall back on the pillows, though that didn't stop him, and continued to lean closer, a crooked smile on his face as it neared my own.

"Right now?" I squeaked. "The twelfth reason?" I was trying to keep up with the conversation. If I let him dazzle me like this for too long, I'd surely loose my train of thought.

"Mhmm," he murmured, his nose outlining my jaw, his lips following made a gentle trail across my skin.

It took all the power in me to keep my hands to myself, to refrain from running them through his silky bronze hair, and across the dull glimmer in his skin.

Edward looked down and noticed my fingers clenched against the pillows beneath me. He met my eyes and grinned. Gently, he reached down and pried my fingers from the fabric, carefully turning it upside down to skim my wrist across his face.

"The twelfth reason why I love you is on the third finger of this beautiful hand." He smiled flipping my hand over so that the diamond of his mother's wedding ring caught the light. I watched hypnotized as his lips kissed the ring, and then slowly he turned to face me. Not a second later was he kissing me, his body pressed closer against mine and I gasped beneath his lips. In response to the gasp, he smiled and carefully, just as he had the first time, ran the tip of his tongue gently across my bottom lip.

I felt my heart quicken and my skin tingle with his touch. His hand reached behind me, against the back of my neck, pulling me closer.

I couldn't take it anymore, I unclenched my right hand from the pillows and clutched in his hair. When he didn't pull away I gently ran my finger tips down the back of his neck and across his shoulder blades. I could feel the air of my lungs just about to diminish completely when he pulled away. I felt the rotation of his shoulders as he leaned over to my ear.

"Two more days, Bella," he marveled. "Tonight, tomorrow, the next night, and then you will be mine."

I concentrated on attempting to make my breathing return to normal but was failing miserably.

"I thought you would save the ring for the thirteenth reason," I told him, blushing at the unsteadiness of my breathing.

"Oh the thirteenth reason will be far more important." I could hear the smile in his voice and wished I could see his expression.

I waited for a moment, hopelessly wishing he would at least drop a hint. "When are you going to tell me?"

He chuckled, and kissed my cheek, pulling away to look at me. "You'll see." Now I could see his expression, and the overjoyed gleam in his eye at his little secret. "But I would like to further explain my twelfth reason," he smiled sheepishly.

I nodded in encouragement. He sat up and brought me with him so that I was cradled against his chest. He reached for my left hand again, just letting it sit motionless in his palm as he gazed at his. "The first time I discovered that I loved you, I imagined you wearing this ring," he smiled in remembrance. His smile slowly slipped into a grimace. "But the image seemed unreal, hopeless. You had everything I didn't. You had mortality, blood running through your veins, human emotions, and natural beauty. I suddenly felt unworthy to even be in the same room with you. That's why I felt so horrible when you began expressing the same emotions back towards me."

Edward took a deep, unnecessary breath and went on. "You were like this un-touchable angel. And now, to see you with this ring on your finger, knowing that it symbolizes that your _mine _and you agreed to _marry _me," his voice got softer at the end, and it made my heart stop to realize that he would probably be crying if he was able to. "It's…" he searched my face, as if trying to find the right word. "Implausible. Bewildering. Inconceivable. You're giving up everything, to be with me…" his forehead crinkled in realization, or maybe confusion. But I could almost see the light bulb go off in his head as he looked intently in my eyes. "You really do love me." And then he smiled.

I rolled my eyes, a grin playing on my lips. "Obviously."

I then I got to my knees and kissed him. His arms wrapped around my torso, with more strength then they've ever had before. He seemed to notice after a moment and dropped his hands. I pulled away slightly. "You won't hurt me you know."

"I know."

I leaned forward to kiss him again. Edward kissed me gently, and this time, he pulled away. The corner of his lips were turned up into a smirk and I could feel myself rolling my eyes before the words even came out of his mouth. "I still love you more."


	16. Reason Thirteen

**A/N: Last chapter?! Well this is kind of bittersweet. **

**P.S. I've never had a wedding, okay? Haha, I'm 13, and I've been the junior brides maid at my aunt's wedding, but that's all the expirence I have so sorry if I'm... completely off target here? Then again I've never had a vampire boyfriend either... **

**Enjoy :) **

**(I'll ramble on some more at the end) **

* * *

I told Edward everything. Every minor detail of my life, happy, sad, embarrassing, all laid out on the table. I don't know how he sat through it all, but I guess after a hundred years of dealing with humans you gain some patience. I asked him several times if he wanted me to stop, my voice beginning to annoy even myself, but each time he would shake his head no and urge me to continue.

He appeared to be in deep concentration the entire time. As the words slipped from my mouth, his forehead would crumple and his eyes would focus on my mouth, as if he not only needed to remember the words, but how they formed on my lips. When I would try to skip over a few years he would argue with me, claiming that I had to tell him _something_.

I had no idea it would take so long to summarize my life. I was only eighteen, how long could it take? But soon the few rays of light that flickered through the nylon material of the tent faded, and the area became dark as the afternoon fell into evening and evening twisted into night. Neither Edward nor I seemed to notice until I could no longer see his face in front of my own. I reached out and traced my fingers over his perfect features.

He didn't even warn me as his stone arms embraced my body. He kissed my hair, and could feel the dark strands saturate beneath his cool breath. I shivered in his arms and he chuckled through out his words. "And every time I think It's absolutely impossible to love you more, you prove me wrong."

I leaned against his chest, pulling my knees to my own and letting the sounds of the chirping crickets and my own breathing entwine in the calm air.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked me, he was lightly playing with the ends of my hair, his cold fingers grazing my back softly.

I sighed contently, and began making idle shapes with my finger on his knee. "What I'm _always_ thinking about," I murmured. "You."

He thought about that for a moment and then chuckled softly. "You know, I bet I think about you more…"

I groaned and pulled back from my position against his chest to fall back on the pillows. "Good_night, _Edward," I said sharply, turning away from him.

Edward laughed and was soon behind me, his icy fingers crawling up my back and around my sides until his hands meet and I was sucked back into his cold embrace.

His mouth found my ear, his cool breath gliding over my skin as he brushed his lips back and forth.

And that's how I fell asleep that night. Edward whispered words in my ear, none of them connecting to each other, yet each with a meaning of its own. Warm. Beautiful. Wife. And I could feel myself succumb into a reluctant dreamland. I mean, who wants to dream when reality is this spectacular?

And that night, though I was unconscious, I knew that I slept the entire night away in Edward's arms. He didn't leave to get changed, or pull away in fear I would get too cold. No. He. Didn't. Move. Once.

* * *

My wedding was in five hours, fifteen minuets and twenty nine seconds. It was a bad combination, what with my head spinning from my lack of breathing and my heart aching from not seeing Edward for over ten hours. I thought a wedding was suppose to be the best day of a girl's life. I must be further from normal then I thought because to me, this was hell.

I was currently staring at my reflection in the mirror of my bathroom. My hair was thrown up in an angry bun, and my cheeks were splotched and pale against the dark emptiness of my eyes. I reached up and untangled the rubber band from my hair and studied the disheveled brown mess. I glanced at my hairbrush that sat mockingly on my counter. I sighed, shifted my weight onto one crutch and picked it up, bringing it to my hair and looking back at the mirror.

My hand flew to my heart and the hair brush clattered loudly to the floor as Alice appeared over my shoulder, her wicked smile reflecting back at me. I suddenly felt like I was in a bad horror movie.

"Alice," I scolded, bending over to retrieve my brush. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry, Bella, but I just had the best vision!" She clasped her hands together in anticipation as I ignored her, aggravation lucid on my face as I struggled to pull the brush through my knotted hair.

"Carlisle's going to take the cast off early!"

I stopped mid-brush and examined her expression. My eyes roamed her mirror image, spinning around to face her, I let her words sink in.

"No crutches?" I whispered, raising an eyebrow.

"No crutches." She grinned.

* * *

My whole day played in scenes, each scene not fully connected to the next, and I felt the most disconnected of all. It was like I was watching a montage of my life pass before my eyes. My mind was numb, and I just watched each picture flash blindingly. I barely remembered the cast coming off my leg, was it even off? I looked down, only to find the white void of my wedding dress fill my vision.

"Bella, hold still," Alice commanded, her small hands gently pinning my hair into place.

My hands twisted endlessly in my lap and I could feel myself biting my lip.

I heard the soft sound of the door closing and looked up, hopelessly wishing that it was Edward and he would come save me from this torture.

"Oh, honey, you'll ruin your lipstick!" Renee sighed exasperated as she rushed forward, grabbing a tissue off of the nearby table and forcing me to remove my teeth from my bottom lip.

I knew it wasn't fair to Renee, but I could feel my heart slowly drown in my chest.

"Oh, Bella, you could at least _attempt _to look happy," Alice scolded as she examined my face for any more makeup dilemmas.

Renee suddenly stepped back into my pretrial vision, an apprehensive look on her face. "Bella, you don't _have _to go through with it. I'm sure everyone would understand if you decided to post-pone…"

I clenched my teeth and looked back and forth between Alice and Renee. "I'm just nervous," I told them, standing up. I noticed it immediately, the raised elevation and the trembling of my knees. I carefully picked up the hem of my dress and examined my feet.

"Alice!" I screeched, immediately falling right back into the chair. "Why am I wearing _heels_!?"

Alice grinned wickedly. They were the exact heels that had led to my first misfortune. When Alice didn't answer me, I felt my face contort in anger, and I begged myself not to cry. "Alice!"

Just then the door cracked open and a round face peered around the door jam. "Oh there you are, Renee!" The woman entered the small waiting room in the chapel, and walked over to Renee. She was a large women with wild red hair that made the back of my throat go dry. It reminded me of Victoria's.

"Francine," Renee replied nervously eyeing me. "What are you doing here?"

The women laughed and flared her long red nails. "Phil has been looking all _over _for you!" She exclaimed, walking over to my mother and throwing a thick arm over her shoulder, shaking her head softly. Her head finally stopped and she peered at me curiously as if she just noticed me.

"Oh, you must be Bella!" She cried, waddling over. My mouth fell open to say something but she fiercely kissed each of my cheeks, and then pinched them beneath her brawny fingers. I could hear the slight sound of a growl radiating from Alice's chest, and I tried to cover it with words, but once again the women spoke. "Renee and Phil have told me _so _much about you! I'm your Step Aunt. You can call me Auntie Francine!" She grinned. So this was the long lost sister Renee had spoke about.

"Um, Francine," Renee called to her anxiously. "I think we should find our seats, the wedding was suppose to begin five minuets ago."

I felt my eyes go wide in horror but Alice's small hand squeezed my shoulder gently.

Francine nodded and kissed my cheek once more. "Good luck, Bella!"

I smiled warily and could feel my stomach drop as the sound of a clock ticked in my ear.

I barely noticed when Renee hugged me and whispered words of encouragement. I couldn't remember where Alice went but I was suddenly in the small room by myself. Was it so cliché to say that the walls were closing in on me? Because that's exactly what they were doing.

I stood up and walked hesitantly to the mirror. I reached out with one finger and touched the reflection. I took a deep breath and tried to relax, but my brain was throbbing and the room was spinning. A wedding seemed so final. Not that damning myself to a life as a vampire wasn't final, but that was _my _choice. I knew I would never change my mind. But what about Edward? What if at the alter he realized the immeasurable inevitability he was subjecting himself to? What if he finally realized that after the wedding he would have to change me, and an eternity with a cold, unblushing creature was too tedious for him? What if he changed his mind completely?

I pulled my hand back from my reflection to my heart and gasped. Over my shoulder, Edward's golden eyes locked with my reflection. Why was everyone doing that to me today?

I was about to scold him for scaring me, and sneaking in to see me before the wedding, but my words were swallowed as his arms wove around my waist and his forehead pressed against mine.

His eyes bore into mine intensely and I couldn't shake off the growing feeling that he was looking right into my soul.

"You were doubting me again," he whispered finally.

I shook my head no but his expression didn't waver. He scrutinized my expression and pulled away from my forehead to kiss my nose. "You get you're thirteenth reason today, you know," he smiled crookedly, a token of pain still evident in his eyes.

I took this as an opportunity to let my eyes roam his appearance. His tousled bronze hair was a bit more kept then usual, and his eyes, lighter then I've ever seen them glistened a rich honey color that made my head spin. His suit was black and striking against his pallid skin. I was always partial to him in black…

"Bella?"

"Mhmm, yeah, thirteenth reason."

Edward frowned and tilted my chin back up to make contact with my roaming eyes. Just then I heard the sharp voice of Alice on the other side of the door.

"Edward, get out of there, _now,_" She growled stridently.

Edward ignored her and continued to search my eyes. "There's no need to doubt me, love," he grimaced, his thumb stroking the sensitive skin beneath my jaw. He replaced his thumb with his lips, gently kissing up my jaw line.

"Edward Cullen," Alice seethed, her voice somehow reminding me of fiery tendrils. "You have five seconds or I'm coming in there. 1…"

Edward disregarded her once again and kissed just to the corner of my mouth, then he stopped.

"2…"

Edward pulled away and grinned at me.

"3…"

"You are such a cheater!" I rebuked half-heartedly.

"4…"

"Yes," he grinned. "I most definitely am." And then he leaned forward, his lips so close to mine I could feel his cool breath penetrate the soft skin of my lips. So close…

"5…"

I heard the deafening sound of a door ripping off it's hinges and opened my eyes in surprise. When I didn't find Edward in front of me, and Alice slapping her hands together as the dust rose around the diminished door, I found myself hissing a childish rhyme that I was surprised I even remembered. "Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater…"

* * *

I peeked around the door frame, my chest stung as my heart refused to slow down. I watched as Alice, Rosalie and Jasper waltzed down the aisle, they're grace and beauty mind blowing. I wondered how anybody could ever believe their lies. They were nowhere near human, more like stone angles that had escaped the walls of the chapel.

My body froze, dropping a few degrees as Charlie's hand gently tapped my back. "Are you ready, Bella?"

_No, _I wanted to scream. The pit of my stomach twisted and I briefly wished that I was at home, on my bed, with Edward beside me, softly whispering my ear. I could look up and watch as his silky bronze hair fell right above his topaz eyes.

"Bella?" My hallucinated Edward asked. I frowned.

"Bella!?" I shook my head lightly, opening my eyes to meet Charlie's concerned face.

"Sorry," I whispered. "I'm ready."

Charlie nodded and looked up and down at me, as soon as his eyes caught the light I noticed the glistening. "You look beautiful, Bella," he smiled sheepishly.

"Thank you, Dad," I smiled, feeling my throat tighten at his words. I stepped closer and wrapped my arms around him.

Charlie remained unresponsive for a moment before he embraced me just as fiercely. He kissed the top of my head gently. "I'm gonna miss ya, Bells," he murmured, pulling back to look me over once more.

I nodded, my mouth not capable of using words as my stomach lurched with butterflies. The wedding march had just begun and I could feel the hair on the back of my neck rise. Charlie threaded his arm through mine, and before I could think, or speak, or protest, we were turning the corner, my eyes following the aisle until they met my destination.

This was it, the other piece to my never ending puzzle. It's amazing isn't it? The feeling of thinking you have your entire life planned out, beginning to end, each piece of the puzzle fitting perfectly, and then discovering you were missing a few pieces. It's like opening a present on Christmas, and getting something you didn't ask for, but realizing it was exactly what you wanted. Edward had always been that extra puzzle piece and that un-asked-for Christmas gift.

I continued to walk down the aisle, my mind begging me to try and focus harder on not tripping, yet I couldn't retain any other information besides the look on Edward's face.

The look was indescribable and impossible. If love had a designated expression, this would be it.

His smile radiated and I could feel my heart expand, overflowing with memories. Everything, of which he would remind me off. The first time we met. Our first kiss. His thirteen reasons. His plan to keep me entirely safe for three entire days, which to my astonishment, he had succeeded. And everything in between.

The aisle was infinite, as the urge to kiss him, bubbled inside of me. His golden eyes absorbed me in his devoted stare and I wasn't walking down an aisle anymore, I was walking on a cloud.

Soon Charlie was handing me to him, my palm falling into his like a magnet. Maybe he noticed he too, because he smiled brilliantly. Charlie kissed my cheek and continued to his seat. Edward held my hand as I walked up the remaining step, up to the alter.

The priest began to speak, but his words were lost in the sound of my heart against my eardrum. I suddenly praised Alice for forcing me to wear heels. I was closer to Edward's beautiful face. I gazed, mesmerized as his lips remained in a wide smile, twitching slightly downward every so often, probably afraid of looking too much like a vampire if he showed his teeth. I looked up a little further and was instantly captivated by his irises that looked like shattered golden glass, sparkling and smoldering.

I was pulled out of the fog of my own desires as Edward spoke. "I do."

The priest turned to me and recited the wedding ceremony line. I smiled shyly, my cheeks radiating a soft blush. "I do."

The priest announced the six sacred words. "You may now kiss the bride."

And that was it, a million different things I had been waiting for, for so long. First Edward leaned closer, his cool breath once again fanning across my supple lips. And then his velvet voice twisted beautifully and quietly, in the air, so only I could hear it. "Thirteenth reason why I love you."And then he put a hand on either side of my face and squeezed gently.

_I_ was the thirteenth reason. The thirteen reason why he loved me was… me. Human, _or _vampire, he loved me_. _My brain couldn't comprehend his terminology anymore, because his lips were against mine, and without words, he told me everything I needed to hear. The heat flowed freely to the exact spot where his lips were touching mine and I felt the familiar sense of electricity blaze beneath my skin. It was just like that day back in biology, the electric field we had running between us, unknowingly connecting our hearts.

I could faintly hear the sound of cheering, but I was too lost to recognize it. All I knew, and all I needed, was Edward's lips beneath mine, and his unspoken words penetrating my soaring soul.

Edward pulled away, a grin dominating his face as he reached for my hand and turned us towards the crowd. His eyes never left my face as we walked back down the aisle, hand in hand. Husband and wife. I could feel my soul lifting, Edward's right beside it.

Eternity, I smiled at the word. Here we come.

**The End. **

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Love it? Hate it? Now's the time to review! Please, all I'm asking is for a simple review maybe, "nice," or "good job" ?! That's all I'm asking for!

Please tell me about your views on the story overall, I live on feedback!

Well, the sad truth is that it's over! And no, I won't do and sequel, or add a fourteenth reason. Sorry! But if you have certain parts where you would enjoy seeing Edward's POV, go ahead, ask! I won't do the whole story, but I might be open to requests on one-shot types of things :)

I'd like to give an infinate THANK YOU, to my readers and reviewers! And a super special thank you to my constant reviewers, you guys are the best!

**P.S. Big thank you to Beatlemaniac1 for finding out what tents are made out of for me! :)**

**Love you all!**

**Talk to you soon! :)**


	17. Sequel!

**I caved. **

That's right. **Caved. **

I couldn't leave this story alone if I tried

So, you all get your sequel.

It's called **I Love You **

It's in Edward's POV and it takes place after this story

Bella is a vampire, something I thought I would never do in a long story.

If you're reading this note right after it's posted you might have to wait a few

moments because I'm on my way to post the story right after I'm done writing this.

Please review! Everyone who still has this story on their alert list, I would really appreciate it if you added a word or two on the new story!

Finally I would like to thank all of you reviewers for this story! I never in a million years thought it would reach

the amount of reviews it has obtained. 800!? Never. Ever. But it's true!

You are all the best and I send out all of my love to you wonderful people!

**Thank you!**

- runaway xo


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